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TRUE GOLD OF 
TENNESSEE 

A Romance of the English-Speaking World 


By 

Ernest Hugh Fitzpatrick 


y 


Clarke -McElroy Publishing Company 
6140 Cottage Grove Avenue 
Chicago, Illinois 



Copyright 

by 

E, H, Fitzpatrick 
1922 



(British Copyright. All rights reserved.) 

SEP 21 1922 


©Cl.A68 83 2 7<;;^ 






TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

1. English Youth in Southern Plantation Home 5 

2. Arcadia in Tennessee .... 21 

3. A Stately Home in England . . .45 

4. A Bonapartist Exile .... 79 

5. A New World Village Lawyer and Doctor 106 

6. Three Modern Musketeers . . . 128 

7. The Sweet Face of Veronica . . 150 

8. Blessed Are the Dead .... 181 

9. Irish Valor and the Victoria Cross in India 217 

10. Dejected Suitors 246 

11. A Comedy of Errors .... 261 

12. A Villainous Plot 297 

13. The Purple Covering of Death . . 328 

14. Psychology of Hypnotism Revealed . , 357 

15. A Golden Sunset 382 


“One adequate support 
For the calamities of mortal life 
Exists, one only, an assured belief 
That the procession of our fate, however 
Sad and disturbed, is ordered by a Being 
Of infinite benevolence and power 
Whose everlasting purposes, embrace 
All accidents, converting them to good.” 


These lines were enclosed in 
a letter to his father by Mr, 
Gladstone when a student at 
Oxford. Author unknown — 
probably Hallam. 

— Morley*s Life of Glod stone. 


CHAPTER I 


ENGLISH YOUTH IN A SOUTHERN PLANTA- 
TION HOME 

N ot far from Knoxville, Tennessee, lies some 
of the finest agricultural land in the state; 
land upon which may be grown the choic- 
est of tobacco, wheat, corn, oats, and where every 
variety of vegetable and fruit suited to the soil and 
climate, grows in profusion. There are still to be 
found many of the old and reputable families who 
have extensive holdings in that section of the state, 
a section redolent of pride and prejudice. Even in 
the mountainous parts of Tennessee which separ- 
ate that state from North Carolina and Georgia are 
seen many a sturdy and rugged descendant from 
the early Scottish and English settlers. With one 
of the former our story begins. 

Many years ago one Angus McKenneth, a brawny 
Scottish Highlander, had left his native heather, 
after the Glencoe Massacre, an appalling crime 
committed through an utter misconception on the 
part of the then reigning king, William of Orange, 
of the affairs of the Highlanders. The turbulence of 
the Highlanders had been greatly exaggerated, and 
grossly misrepresented to the English King by the 
Master of Stair. The king had, under an entirely 
erroneous conception, signed a decree sanctioning 
the punishment of the supposedly refractory High- 
land Clan of the Macdonalds. Angus MacKenneth, 
being closely allied by marriage to the Macdonalds, 
lost three of his stalwart sons in that cruel mas- 
sacre. He fled with his wife and his only remaining 
son to North America, and finally settled upon the 


6 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Unaka Mountains of Eastern Tennessee, as near a 
counterpart of his beloved Grampians as he could 
find. 

Here, having cleared the timber and brush, he 
erected a house of rough-hewn logs, from the sur- 
rounding forest, and settled down to a life of exile, 
for the most part morose and uncompromising. 
Never had there been in those parts such a settler 
as Angus MacKenneth. By his indefatigable in- 
dustry, his patient and constant effort, together 
with his Scottish parsimony, he managed to wring 
a living from the soil. His undeniable integrity, 
and his unyielding austerity caused him to be a 
well-known character for miles around the sparsely 
settled country. Angus MacKenneth brooded long 
and deeply over the massacre of Glencoe, and the 
death of his three sons, and he continued to bear an 
inextinguishable hatred toward the Master of 
Stair, whose evil machinations had brought about 
that awful catastrophe to his kin and kinsmen, the 
Clan Macdonald. Such was the progenitor of one of 
the chi,ef characters of our story. 

The son who had come over with him, David by 
name, grew into manhood under the mellowing in- 
fluence of mountain, stream, and forest, far from 
the madding strife of political and racial rancor, 
which had tended in so great a measure to embitter 
his father's otherwise chivalrous and kindly nature. 
David wedded a Scottish lass whose parents resided 
in that section of the country, and brought up a 
numerous progeny for King and Colony. 

The Angus MacKenneth of our story was the 
seventh in line from that first Angus, who had 
settled in Tennessee, and was named after his an- 
cient and redoubtable grandsire. Our Angus Mac- 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


7 


Kenneth seemed to have inherited many of the traits 
and characteristics of his remote progenitor. He 
was a man built on herculean proportions, so 
characteristic of the Highland race, and, although 
possessing a warm, genial, and kindly disposition, 
he was nevertheless intolerant of wrong, inflexible 
in right; a proud, haughty, and austere man. The 
nearest neighbors of MacKenneth were Mr. Albert 
Wilcox and Mr. Stephen Lawrence. The Wilcoxes 
and the Lawrences long had been land owners In 
those parts, and both families were reputed to be 
wealthy. 

The Wilcox and the Lawrence plantations ad- 
joined, and it had become the ambition, almost the 
obsession, of the two families who had maintained 
for so many years an unbroken friendship, to ulti- 
mately unite their holdings. Mr. Wilcox and Mr. 
Angus MacKenneth had married two sisters, Grace 
and Mary Osborne. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox were the 
happy parents of two healthy and beautiful children, 
George and Grace. Mr. and Mrs. MacKenneth had 
but one child, a girl, called after her mother, Mary. 
Mrs. MacKenneth died when Mary was but five 
years old, after a long sickness of what was then 
called mountain fever, a pernicious form of malaria. 

Stephen Lawrence and his wife were fatally hurt 
in a railroad wreck, when their little girl, Emily, 
was barely two years old. The parents, before 
their death, placed their little girl under the sacred 
guardianship and care of their life-long friends, Mr. 
and Mrs. Wilcox, with the wish, that if it could be 
brought about, George Wilcox, their son, and Emily 
should marry when they came to be of suitable age. 

Emily and Mary were about the same age, with 
but a few months between them. After the death 


8 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of his wife, Mr. Angus MacKenneth’s affections 
centered upon his little girl Mary. He placed her 
for the time being in the household of the Wilcoxes, 
to be brought up and instructed with Emily. Here 
Mary remained until she had grown into young 
womanhood. 

At the time our story begins, George Wilcox was 
twenty^one years of age, Grace, his sister, was 
nineteen, and Emily and Mary had just passed their 
sixteenth year. George had just returned to 
America, after spending two years at Oxford, Eng- 
land, and had brought with him a guest, a college 
chum of his, Reginald Streetfield, the only son of 
Sir William Streetfield, baronet, of Streetfield 
Manor, Gloucestershire, England. 

This was the first visit of young Streetfield to 
the States, and naturally he was very interested in 
the many new views and angles of life, and methods 
adopted in the great western republic. Reginald 
Streetfield was a young man built on strong, ath- 
letic lines, life and vigor being apparent in every 
movement of his limbs and body. He was slightly 
under six feet in height, his hair was dark, thick, 
and profuse, indicative of great muscular strength. 
His eyes were of a dark brown, almost a hazel hue, 
with a thoughtful expression that may be described 
as being tinged with melancholy. His mouth was 
well shaped, with lips firmly set, showing deter- 
mination. When he smiled, his whole face lighted 
up, contrasting with his usual thoughtful ex- 
pression. His nose was well proportioned to his 
face, well shaped and well poised, his jaws set 
squarely, his cheek bones a little high, and his com- 
plexion clear and bright and at this time he was 
struggling with a light brown mustache. Tempera- 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


9 


mentally, Reginald was fearless, optimistic, and 
good natured, kind almost to a point of femininity, 
and possessed all the perfect and finished manners 
incident to the careful bringing up of a young Eng- 
lish aristocrat. He was in fact, sans peur et sans 
reproche, 

George Wilcox was in some ways the opposite of 
Reginald. He was shy, diffident, and reserved. He 
had a well proportioned and muscular figure too, 
and he wore his auburn curly hair a little long. His 
eyes were small, round, and of a steel gray color. 
He was good natured extremely amiable and willing 
to please and oblige. His manners were pleasing, 
almost insinuating; he was ever ready to help a 
friend, and possessed a superabundance of animal 
spirits. Unlike many of his countrymen, of his own 
age, and of his station in life, he was entirely free 
from that self-confidence which often simulates 
self-assurance, causing many to be misunderstood 
outside their own country. He and Streetfield 
were about the same height and build, and when 
they walked out together, they invariably attracted 
attention by their splendid carriage, and bearing. 
Reginald and George were classmates, and had been 
much thrown into each other's company, becoming 
close friends. There was one phase of George's 
character which was not often discernible, for he 
most earnestly sought to overcome it, and to a 
large measure succeeded. When thwarted or an- 
tagonized he was prone to great fury and vindictive- 
ness. This characteristic was doubtless due to 
the want of early discipline, and to the deference 
shown to his every whim and wish by his devoted 
and doting parents, more especially his mother, to 
whom he was greatly attached, and also by his sis- 


10 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ter Grace, who looked upon George as the incarna- 
tion of every manly virtue. Between brother and 
sister a deep bond of sympathy existed, “the two 
G’s” as their father would often facetiously call 
them. 

Grace was vivacious, accomplished, and a truly 
charming girl, resembling her brother to a great 
extent, and was herself of the fair type. She 
gloried in a magnificent head of light golden hair, 
and had large blue eyes, a well-shaped nose and 
mouth, the most inviting lips, and a fairly large and 
determined chin. She was of medium height, with 
an exquisitely shaped and well-knit figure. 

Emily Lawrence was of a different mould. She 
was quiet, reserved, and with a sincere and frank 
expression, a figure slight and girlish, with dark 
brown hair and large brown eyes, with an expres- 
sion of wonderment in them. She was of an utterly 
guileless, confiding, and unsuspecting nature. 
Loyalty, docility, and truth, were her marked 
characteristics. 

Mary MacKenneth showed strength, power, and 
beauty in every line of her face, and movement of 
her body. Her expression was peculiarly pensive 
and serious. She exhibited the high cheek bones, 
the large dark blue eyes and almost black 
hair of her unmistakably Gaelic ancestry. Her 
figure was attractive, graceful, with splendidly 
poised limbs. Health, vigor, womanliness and 
chastity showed in every action of her supple body. 
Although just over sixteen years of age at this 
time, she showed all the marks of a fascinating, 
budding womanhood. 

Such were the three girls who are to be so closely 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


11 


related in the unfolding of this story, all charming 
examples of young American womanhood. 

It was on the occasion of Grace’s nineteenth 
birthday, May 2, 1878, that Mr. Albert Wilcox had 
summoned the family lawyer, Mr. Silas Thompson, 
to his plantation home, for the purpose of closing 
up some business matters pertaining to an estate 
which Grace had inherited from her uncle, a 
younger brother of Mr. Wilcox, who had died early 
and had constituted Grace his sole legatee. Silas 
Thompson was a character in his way. He was a 
type of man now fast dying out. Loyalty to his 
client was an article of religious faith with him. At 
this time he was about fifty years of age. He in- 
variably indulged in the use of legal phraseology, 
and was wont to speak to and of his clients in the 
third person. For instance, when anyone pro- 
pounded to him a question of law, he would in- 
variably say, “Well, let me see! You are the party 
of the first part, and so and so the party of the 
second part. Now, as the party of the first part 
wishes to obtain from the party of the second part 
certain instruments and property, therefore it be- 
hooves the party of the second part to ascertain to 
what extent in law the party of the first part has 
the power and right to ask of him the party of the 
second part, the surrender of such instruments and 
property.” 

His conversations with Mr. Wilcox would invari- 
ably end by Mr. Wilcox crying out in desperation, 
“Damn the parties, Silas! Let us have the law.” 
Silas Thompson would appear to be much shocked 
at this want of reverence for the law on the part of 
Mr. Wilcox, but he would descend to ordinary 
phraseology, and give Mr. Wilcox the information 


12 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


needed. On this particular occasion, they were all 
seated in the library, Mr. Albert and Mrs. Wilcox, 
George, Grace, and Mr. Silas Thompson, occupying 
the chair at the head. 

He carefully extracted from a tin roll the scroll 
of the will of the late Mr. Nicholas Wilcox, and 
after reading it in a most serious manner, said: 
“Now, Mr. Wilcox, and you Miss Grace, I want both 
of you to listen attentively to what I have to say. 
We will begin by designating the late Mr. Nicholas 
Wilcox the party of the first part, and you. Miss 
Grace, the party of the second part, and you, Mr. 
Albert Wilcox, the party of the third part. Now, 
therefore, as the party of the third part, that is 
you, Mr. Wilcox, desires to terminate his trust of 
the party of the second part, that is you. Miss 
Grace, and, inasmuch as the party of the second 
part has reached the age of nineteen, and as the 
will of the party of the first part, has designated 
that, at the age of nineteen the party of the third 
part has to relinquish to the party of the second 
part such property and estates which the party 
of the first part, has left in trust for the party of the 
second part, therefore, be it known that I, Silas 
Thompson, attorney-at-law, am called upon at and 
by the request of the party of the third part, to 
wit, Mr. Albert Wilcox, to take such legal steps and 
measures, duly prescribed by law, so that the party 
of the third part may be duly and legally released 
from his trust of such property and estates that 
have been in his keeping and supervision for the 
sole use and possession of the party of the second 
part, to wit. Miss Grace Wilcox.” 

“Silas, Silas, when will you ever learn to keep 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


13 


those parties out? Do you not see that you hope- 
lessly confuse us by adhering to that quaint legal 
phraseology of yours?” cried Mr. Wilcox. 

‘‘But, my dear Wilcox, the law requires it and 
says so. Why, Sir, the law would be inextricably 
mixed if we did not adhere to some set and clear 
statement of persons and facts.” 

“Why, Silas, if the law can make it more intri- 
cate and more confused than you have, with your 
jargon and jumble of parties of the first, second and 
third parts, then I would like to see it done,” re- 
sponded Mr. Wilcox. 

This was the wrangle that invariably took place 
whenever Mr. Silas Thompson was called upon for 
professional advice by Mr. Albert Wilcox; and it 
was only after a good deal of good-natured badinage 
on the part of Mr. Wilcox that Mr. Silas Thompson 
was finally driven into a corner, and had to come 
down to everyday parlance. 

The usual routine of law was assented to and 
Mr. Wilcox was released from his guardianship of 
the estate left to Grace by her Uncle. 

“Come, Silas,” said Mr. Wilcox, when their legal 
business was through, “I want you to meet George's 
friend, Mr. Reginald Streetfield, the only son of Sir 
William Streetfield, baronet, of Gloucester, Eng- 
land. 

“Dear me, dear me, Wilcox. A son of a real, live 
baronet here? How remarkable, how prodigious, 
how strange, to be sure!” These were the three 
emphatic assertions that Mr. Silas Thompson would 
invariably repeat in relation to anything of an unus- 
ual nature, or to anything that appeared to him as 
unusual. 

“There is nothing remarkable, prodigious, or 


14 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


strange about it, Silas,” responded Mr. Wilcox, re- 
peating his words and mimicking his intonation. 
“Mr. Reginald Streetfield and George are college 
chums. George asked him over here on a visit.” 

“Would it not be remarkable, prodigious, and 
strange if this son and heir to an English baronetcy 
were to admire and to take back with him to Eng- 
land the party of the second part, that is you, Miss 
Grace,” said Mr. Silas Thompson, jocularly. 

“I do not see why there should be anything re- 
markable about that, Mr. Thompson,” spoke up 
Grace, pretending to be affronted. “Why should not 
Mr. Streetfield or any other young man, for that 
matter, admire me? I am sure I am not so homely 
as you would like to make me out, at least I trust 
and hope not.” 

“Pardon me, Miss Grace, I did not mean it at all 
that way. Really, now, would it not be remarkable, 
prodigious and strange if I should have to call you 
the party of the second part, Lady Streetfield,” said 
Mr. Silas Thompson.” 

“You dear, stupid man,” said Grace, now appear- 
ing to be mollified. “Of course, it would appear 
strange to me to be addressed as My Lady this, 
that, or the other. But come, let us go into the 
next room, and I will introduce you to Mr. Street- 
field. Remember he is simply a Mister. He is not 
a Lord or Sir, and will not be until he succeeds to 
his father's title.” 

“How remarkable — ” 

“I have just told you that there was nothing re- 
markable about it at all, Mr. Thompson,” said 
Grace. 

“Just as you say, just as you say. Miss Grace, but 
I assure you that it appears to me — ” 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


15 


Tt does not want to appear anything,” said 
Grace, laughing; and, taking Mr. Silas Thompson 
by the arm, she led him out of the room, much to 
the amusement of Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, who had 
taken an interest in the controversy. In the ad- 
joining room Grace found Mr. Streetfield with her 
brother George, and there were there also, Emily 
Lawrence and Mary MacKenneth. 

Mr. Streetfield,” said Grace, advancing towards 
him, ‘T want you to meet an old friend of our 
family, Mr. Silas Thompson. Mr. Thompson, this is 
Mr. Reginald Streetfield, a college friend of George.” 

“I am sure I am happy to meet you, sir,” said Mr. 
Thompson, shaking hands heartily with Mr. Street- 
field. 

“I am sure I reciprocate your feelings, Mr. 
Thompson,” said Reginald with equal cordiality. 

“You know, sir,” said Mr. Silas Thompson, “I 
was just remarking to Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, and 
to Miss Grace, in the other room, on being told of 
your advent among us, that it is quite an event 
that you should visit us here in this remote section 
of the world, that it is, in fact, a remarkable, pro- 
digious, and strange event but Miss Grace would 
not have it that way.” 

“Mr. Thompson ! Mr. Thompson !” exclaimed 
Grace really alarmed that Mr. Thompson would go 
further, “You and I have just been through a con- 
troversy on that very point, and I came off victori- 
ous. You will not be permitted to re-open the argu- 
ment.” 

“Just as you say, just as you say. Miss Grace,” 
assented Mr. Thompson, and with this he gave his 
attention to Streetfield, and they both walked to 


16 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the other end of the room, and sitting down on a 
sofa, were soon engrossed in conversation. 

Silas Thompson belonged to a class of lawyers 
seen for mnay years after the Revolutionary War. 
This class formed the prevailing type during the 
colonial period of American history. On these men 
tradition had a strong hold; they were men of 
stem character, honest to a fault, loyal to their cli- 
ents and not much given to the acquisition of 
wealth and property ; erudite men who took pride in 
the honor and the knowledge of their profession. 
Their prevailing costume was black and they wore 
tall hats with wide brims, long swallow-tail coats, 
short tight-fitting waistcoats, amply open to display 
a profusion of shirt-front, usually frilled, with high 
cravats, and trousers that fitted snugly to their 
nether limbs, drawn taut especially over their 
calves, and fitting tightly to the top of their shoes. 
These men were the friends aind counsellors of 
everybody in their neighborhood, very much re- 
spected and looked up to. Silas Thompson was one 
of the last of his kind, a type that has been gradu- 
ally supplanted by the more alert and up-to-date 
business man of the city. 

Reginald Streetfield was greatly impressed with 
the unique and quaint mannerisms of Mr. Silas 
Thompson, and he was much surprised at the erudi- 
tion and wide knowledge displayed by him. 

Before he left Mr. Thompson asked Reginald to 
visit him. 

‘‘You will find a very unpretentious home, I warn 
you, Mr. Streetfield, but withal, a very welcome one, 
should you honor me with a visit,"' said Mr. 
Thompson. 

Streetfield warmly thanked him for the extended 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


17 


courtesy, and assured him that he would not fail 
to avail himself of his kind invitation. 

Before Mr. Thompson left, Mr. Angus MacKen- 
neth came into the room, and greeted him. 

Mr. Silas Thompson was especially gracious to 
Mary MacKenneth, whom he seemed to regard with 
a fatherly affection. He had seen her grow up into 
womanhood from infancy, and he had been ever 
solicitous of her welfare, since the early loss of 
her mother, whom, to tell the truth, he had admired 
for many years, and when she married Mr. Mac- 
Kenneth, the dashing young mountaineer, the good 
lawyer suffered in silence, and spent many an hour 
in secret grief. Nor indeed did any suspect that 
the quiet, unassuming, sedate country lawyer of 
any gentle feeling for the handsome and captivating 
Mary Osborne. Silas Thompson was loyalty itself 
to Angus, at whose home he was a frequent visitor, 
and he silently rejoiced in the happiness of one he 
had always regarded with a deep and abiding affeo 
tion, so that when Mary was born, he constituted 
himself an uncle-elect to the tiny piece of humanity, 
as Angus MacKenneth called his baby girl. 

When Mary’s mother died, Silas Thompson was 
inconsolable, but nobody ever divined the depth of 
his affections, and his poignant grief was attributed 
to his friendship and sympathies for Angus Mac- 
Kenneth. 

The one great joy of Silas’s life, at that time, was 
to bring some little present for Mary, and to wit- 
ness her ingenuous joy on receiving it. Even when 
she had grown into young womanhood, Mary never 
omitted kissing her Uncle Si on first greeting him. 

The pure, unalloyed, disinterested friendship on 
the part of Mr. Silas Thompson went a great way 


18 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


toward assuaging the grief of Angus MacKenneth, 
who was never wearied of expounding to Silas the 
great virtues and wonderful accomplishments and 
capabilities of his deceased partner, and he ever 
found an eager and sympathetic listener. 

“Hello, Si! How are you?” said Mr. MacKen- 
neth, cheerily shaking hands with the lawyer. 
“Have you been having any more parties of the first 
and the second parts lately?” continued he, knowing 
well the lawyer’s habit of using legal verbiage. 

“Well, well, Angus. We have been having a 
party right here. The party of the second part. 
Miss Grace, has today reached the age of nineteen, 
and has come into possession of the property left 
her by her uncle, Nicholas Wilcox, and I am over 
here to look into that affair.” 

“We have all wished Grace many happy returns 
of the day. Uncle. We have not forgotten her birth- 
day. Show Uncle Si all those pretty little gifts of 
yours, Grace,” said Mary. 

“Here is one from Mary, Mr. Thompson. It is a 
wild catskin muff. I shall always appreciate it. It 
was kind of Uncle Angus to go to all the trouble of 
trapping the cats and curing the skins and Mary 
has shown wonderful dexterity in making them up. 
I am going to kiss her again for that.” And with 
that speech Grace went over to Mary, and, placing 
her arms around her, implanted on her cheek a re- 
sounding kiss, which made Mary blush with self- 
consciousness. 

“It is good of you to think so much of it, Mary,” 
said Grace, still blushing. 

“What else did you receive, Grace?” asked Mr. 
Thompson. 

“Oh, papa gave me this diamond brooch, mama a 


ENGLISH YOUTH 


19 


new watch, as mine has been keeping such wretched 
time lately; George has given me that beautiful 
saddle mare of his, the one I have so long coveted, 
and Emily this lovely shawl. I have so many 
lovely things that I do not think I could enumerate 
them all. I am going to kiss Emily. I do not want 
her to think that I appreciate her gift any less than 
that of Mary.” 

“You are always deucedly lucky, Grace,” inter- 
jected her brother George. “If Mr. Silas Thompson 
would only get you a sweetheart, he would doubt- 
less fill your cup of desires and happiness to over- 
flowing.” 

“One would think that you wanted to get me out of 
the way, George. I refuse to take you seriously. 
You know you cannot get along without your sister. 
You absurd boy!” retorted Grace. 

“May I not offer my congratulations. Miss Wil- 
cox?” said Mr. Reginald Streetfield, coming for- 
ward and warmly shaking hands with Grace. 

“You will, all of you, make me positively blush, 
from pure self-consciousness, if you do not forget 
my birthday. I thank you, one and all. Everybody 
has been exceedingly kind and generous to me, and 
I am sure I want to appear appreciative. Let us 
all go into the garden, for Uncle Silas has unfortu- 
nately to hurry away. Let us escort him to the 
gate. Come, Emily, Mary, George and you, too, Mr. 
Streetfield.” 

So away went the happy party down the long lane 
that led to the gate. Here they must stop, and 
Uncle Silas Thompson must say something more, 
and Emily had to say something too, and then 
George, and then Mr. Streetfield, until Mr. Silas 


20 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Thompson had literally to tear himself away from 
the buoyant and joyous young people. 

''Do not forget the party of the second part,” 
called out Grace, laughingly, as he moved away, at 
which Silas Thompson shook his finger at her as he 
disappeared from sight. 

"What a really interesting gentleman,” remarked 
Mr. Streetfield, just for something to say. 

"He is truly that, Streetfield, and every inch of 
him true blue,” returned George. 

"Dear Uncle Si,” said Mary. "At times he is sad, 
too; I have often watched him in his pensive mo- 
ments. He is my Uncle, you know, Mr. Streetfield. 
At least I consider him so, and papa says he is as 
fond of me as if I were his own girl.” 

"Now, dear, you know we all love Uncle Silas, 
just as much as you do, although we admit some 
jealousy of you,” remarked Grace. "But there is 
the bell for lunch, and I see mother looking for 
us. I am going to run to her, and see if any of 
you can keep up with me.” And with that Grace 
started off at a good speed, with all the rest of the 
party in her wake. Grace was a good runner and 
both George and Mr. Streetfield had to exert them- 
selves to keep up with her, but finally George caught 
up with her, just as she reached the house; and tak- 
ing Grace in his arms, he gave her a resounding 
kiss. "That is from all of us, Grace,” he said. 

"Let me go, let me go, you naughty boy!” ex- 
claimed Grace, deeply blushing at his remark, owing 
doubtless to the presence of Reginald. With that 
the whole party went in to lunch. 


CHAPTER II 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 

T he village of Great Hope, Tennessee, was 
long known to the neighboring farmers and 
mountaineers as Sandy Hollow, from its very 
topographical situation. The site of the village was 
evidently once the bed of a mountain stream long 
since disappeared. 

The village consisted of one long row of houses 
on either side of a broad sandy street, extending 
over a mile, and here and there away from their 
neighbors, as if in secluded disdain, stood a few 
houses more pretentious than the rest. Dwelling- 
houses and storehouses indiscriminately) mingled 
together. It appeared as though John Smith had 
built himself a residence and had then erected a 
storeroom next door, hence cottages and business 
buildings mingled one with the other apparently 
upon the happiest of terms. 

The village boasted of a blacksmith, whose smithy 
stood next door to the cottage in which he lived, so 
that at any time of the day or night the good- 
natured smith would turn out to fasten a loose 
horseshoe for a neighboring farmer or mountaineer. 
There was also a barbershop, and besides, three 
grocery stores, which were, in fact, general stores, 
which sold every imaginable article in demand in 
that neighborhood. 

The village also boasted of three churches, one 
a Methodist, one a Baptist, and the third a Baptist 
church for the colored population. This colored or 
negro population lived segregated at one extremity 
of the village, and their church was situated in 


22 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


their section. These churches were unpretentious 
wooden buildings, more or less unkempt-looking, 
and sadly in want of a fresh coat of paint. The 
village pastors had their habitations next to their 
respective churches. 

On Sundays the inhabitants of Great Hope di- 
vided into three distinct groups, which wound their 
several ways to the church of their choice. Here, 
generally, a sallow-visaged, attenuated specimen of 
the divine calling held forth in vehement exhorta^ 
tion to his wandering flock, urging them to escape 
from the wrath to come. These pastors were looked 
upon as profoundly learned men, and an exhibition 
of their erudition w^ould often astound the simple- 
minded natives. Theirs, indeed, was an unsophisti- 
cated, an unimaginative, good-natured, and sim- 
ple life. 

A funeral was the great event of the place. All 
attended the services who possibly could. The 
preacher invariably indulged in commendations, 
panegyrics, and in. extravagant words of praise for 
the deceased member of the flock. He feelingly 
commented upon the great goodness of heart of the 
one who had gone before. The departed, if happen- 
ing to be a man, had led a remarkable life, during 
his sojourn upon this earth; his great charity, his 
blameless family life, his civic virtues, particularly 
his patriotism, were all feelingly alluded to, even 
though the deceased during his long or short tenure 
of life, had been a usurer, a gambler, a horse-thief, 
and had been guilty of breaking every law of the 
decalogue. Smith is dead, and why not treat him 
handsomely, as they ought indeed to treat every man 
under similarly distressful circumstances. Would 
they not miss his familiar form sauntering down 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


23 


the village street, or lounging in the bar-room, or 
sitting idly under the porch of the village iwst 
office, whittling a stick with his knife? 

The village of Great Hope was to the simple folk 
the axis of the earth. They imagined and verily 
believed that the direst calamities would overtake 
the whole world should a catastrophe happen and 
blot out this little village of theirs. 

Then there was the village doctor, usually a full- 
bearded rugged, man, who could be seen at all times 
riding slowly over the mountain paths, with saddle- 
bags well filled with medicine. A doctor was sup- 
posed to answer every call upon his services, 
whether for pay or for no pay ; he was the one man 
the villagers insisted should work in good weather, 
and in stormy weather; in good health or in bad 
health; in good report or in evil report. His fa- 
miliar figure could often be seen silhouetted on his 
faithful nag at all hours of the day and night, 
slowly wending his laborious way over the moun- 
tain bridle-paths or cantering briskly along the 
roads of the countryside. 

The doctor and the village lawyer were gener- 
ally warm friends, and both were highly respected 
and looked up to with awe as being the wisest and 
the sagest of mankind. 

At the time when our story begins, Mr. Silas 
Thompson was the local attorney-at-law at Great 
Hope, and a new doctor had just arrived, as the 
old one had decided to seek a less exacting loca- 
tion; He had grown old and worn in the services 
of the people of Great Hope, and the surrounding 
neighborhood. The new doctor fortunately proved 
to be a man of far greater ability than the usual 
standard of country doctors of those parts. 


24 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


In addition to all these advantages, the village of 
Great Hope could boast of four saloons or thirst 
parlors, as they not very euphonistically termed 
them, ready at all times , and at all hours to 
cater to the bibulous minded of the population of 
the village, country, and mountain side. 

Still, on the whole, the village of Great Hope 
was not unpicturesque. Long even lines of poplars 
shaded the street in double rows on either side, 
while here and there could be seen a primeval oak, 
or walnut, which had escaped the onward rush of 
a forest-devastating civilization. 

Such was the village of Great Hope, Tennessee, 
wherein Silas Thompson, attorney-at-law, lived and 
had his being. Silas, as he was called by the male 
inhabitants of the village and of the country for 
miles around, lived in a house situated at the ex- 
treme northern part of the village. It stood some 
little way back from the main line of houses. 
Standing in front of Mr. Thompson’s house were 
two stately poplar trees, of which he was inordi- 
nately proud, and behind the house were some 
magnificent magnolias, and further back again a 
fairly extensive orchard and garden. In summer, 
when the weather permitted, Mr. Silas Thompson, 
when at home, spent a great deal of his time dur- 
ing the day under the shade of these magnificent 
trees. Here he would place a table upon which he 
would lay his material for writing, with which 
he kept up a perpetual struggle during gusty days ; 
nor did he appear petulant or impatient even when 
an unusually brisk catspaw scattered his papers in 
various directions. He would chase after them, 
and gather them up, and carefully place them un- 
der a marble letter-weight. '‘Move again,” he would 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


25 


apostrophize, ‘‘if you dare/’ In a short time, when 
searching for some particular document, he would 
disturb the safe arrangement of his papers, and 
then would imperturbably go through the same 
performance. 

Mr. Silas Thompson’s house was built fairly 
commodiously. It was a one-story cottage, sur- 
rounded on three of its sides by a wide and sub- 
stantially built veranda or porch. The house stood 
a good four feet from the ground. The interior 
consisted of five living rooms. The first he used as 
a general office, in which he conducted his busi- 
ness. An inner room constituted his library and 
study. This he would call, with humorous gravity, 
his sanctum sanctorum. Of the three remaining 
rooms, one was the dining room, the next his bed- 
room, and the third the guest’s room. The kitchen 
and the bathroom buttressed outwardly from the 
rear of the house. None of the rooms boasted of 
carpets. The fioors, being of hardwood, were kept 
scrupulously clean and beautifully polished. Each 
room had an open fireplace, and a neatly construct- 
ed mantel. When the weather was cold and chilly, 
wood was burned in these fireplaces. 

Mr. Silas Thompson’s housekeeper was an old 
colored lady known to everybody as Aunt Janet. 
She lived in a little cottage by herself, a short dis- 
tance from the main building. Aunt Janet was a 
most unusual woman, and was never known to be 
delinquent in her duty of looking after the well- 
being and comfort of her employer. She had long 
been an old woman, how long nobody ever knew, 
and she never seemed to grow any older, and ap- 
parently retained the vigor of her middle age. How 
the worthy lawyer had first discovered her was a 


26 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


mystery, and Aunt Janet was very loath to speak 
about herself. She took upon herself at various 
times the dictation of the good lawyer's fees. The 
lawyer's household was plentifully supplied with 
corn, bacon, eggs, beans, fruit of all kinds when 
in season, fowls, salt-pork, and even turkeys, geese, 
and ducks. All these articles were tendered to him 
at various times as fees in kind, but whenever 
Aunt Janet happened to be super-abundantly sup- 
plied with any one of these articles, she would 
place a sign upon the porch, which read as fol- 
lows: “No eggs, butter, salt-pork, and hams, etc., 
etc., taken this month." And as for Silas Thomp- 
son, had he no such guardian angel, his household 
would verily have in a short while borne a resem- 
blance to the commissariat of an army corps. But 
the constant vigilance of Aunt Janet saved the 
day, and she was known to trudge up a steep 
mountain path with quite a heavy load to return 
to a client, his side of bacon, his ham, or beans, 
etc., when he had dared to disregard her warnings. 
Thus the lawyer's clients came to regard Aunt 
Janet's admonitions as final, and they would be 
therefore forced to pay their obligations to the law- 
yer in the current coin. This the baffled clients 
often resented doing, and only did it with a very 
bad grace. The fear of Aunt Janet would impel 
them to heed her timely warning. 

In this little village and in the surrounding 
country there was usually a considerable amount 
of litigation going on, and the lawyer was by no 
means a laggard in his profession. His reputation 
for good advice, integrity, and able pleading, had 
spread for miles around. In his frequent appear- 
ance at the county court, he was held in just es- 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


27 


teem by his fellow practitioners. His knowledge 
of federal, state, and common law was profound, 
and his clear-cut reasonings, although embellished 
by many a quaint expression, were admitted by all. 
He was jocularly known among his legal brethren 
and referred to by them, as the party of the first 
part. One of these would say to another, as they 
saw Silas approaching: '‘Hello, here comes the 
party of the first part.'’ 

Mr. Silas Thompson submitted with a good grace 
to these good-natured jibes of his friends, but all 
the jibes in the world would not have altered his 
use of legal phraseology. His quaint and old-fash- 
ioned garbed figure contrasted strangely with the 
more modem attire of his brother practitioners. 
Of this he appeared to be wholly unconscious. Be- 
ing a man of utmost probity, he would often ap- 
pealingly admonish a client to desist from entering 
into a lawsuit; but once having accepted a case, he 
would throw the last ounce of his energy and 
forensic talent into the suit. 

It is not to be supposed that Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son was a poor man. He was far from that. He 
had accumulated a modest competendy. His habits 
were frugal, his wants few, and his industry great. 
He had wandered from the village of Great Hope 
on but few occasions. He had once spent a week 
in the national capital, and he had also visited New 
York, Boston, Philadelphia, and a few other east- 
ern cities, and he had even been to Eastern Can- 
ada, and visited Quebec, and Montreal, and had 
proceeded from there to Newfoundland. On one 
occasion he had accompanied a client as far as San 
Francisco, but these journeys had taken place at 
intervals of years. Silas Thompson's one great 


28 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


passion in life was his loving solicitude for Mary 
MacKenneth. He had long decided that after suit- 
ably providing for Aunt Janet, Mary would be the 
beneficiary of his modest fortune. 

Mr. Silas Thompson generally managed to see 
Mary at least one a week, and Mary and her father 
were by no means infrequent guests at his house. 
Whenever Mr. MacKenneth happened to have busi- 
ness in Great Hope, he would invariably have Mary 
accompany him. Mary was the apple of Aunt 
Janet’s eye, and she, on her part, never tired of 
knitting or making something useful for Aunt 
Janet, and was frequently surprising that good 
dame with useful gifts. 

We greatly suspect that Aunt Janet must have 
entertained some suspicion of the lawyer’s feel- 
ings towards Mary’s mother, for she not infre- 
quently recalled her, and recounted many an anec- 
dote of her childhood and girlhood days. 

‘‘Dat was shuah a pity, Massa Silas,” she would 
often say. “Dat such a good woman as that deah 
Mrs. Angus MacKenneah should be taken away by 
de good Lawd to de bettah Ian’ leavin’ dat deah 
gal behind hah’, an’ well do I ’membah, Massa 
Silas, when dat woman was but a teeny weeny gal. 
How she would come with heah father, old man 
Osbone to dis village and would keep peepin’ in at 
dah stoahs, and the stoahkeepahs would stop thar 
waak, and dat is de truf, Massa Silas, would stop 
thar waak, and stah dey would, at hah, like she 
was the app’ition of some good angel. And now 
to see dat Miss Mary cornin’ down de staaht one 
would tink it waah haah deah mothah hahself come 
to life again on his aath. Don’ you tink, Massa 
Silas, dat deah is a mighty ’semblance ’tween dem 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


29 


two ? Was you not to say so, Massa Silas, I would 
tink you have not de possessions of a asimulatin’ 
mind.” 

To all this poor Silas would listen like a hungry 
animal craving for more, and Aunt Janet must 
have had a faint idea that she was awakening in 
her master’s breast pleasant memories even 
though they were poignant. 

Mr. Streetfield had been about a week at the 
Wilcox plantation when he bethought that he 
would pay his promised visit to Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son, so he arranged for the use of a horse and 
buggy from the Wilcox stables, and drove over to 
the village of Great Hope. On arriving at the vil- 
lage, he was stared at with keen curiosity by the 
villagers, who were quick to notice the presence 
of a stranger in the neighborhood. There was a 
certain man in that village, a Mr. Matthew Ste- 
phens, who gave one the idea of what a reincar- 
nated Noah would have looked like. He wore a 
long beard, tinged with gray, which reached almost 
to his waistline. He was rather a fine looking man, 
with an intelligent face, notwithstanding the od- 
dity of his hirsuteness. This man’s great passion 
in life was the playing of checkers and chess. He 
would content himself for hours, either playing or 
looking on at a game. He would often engage the 
lawyer in a game of chess. Silas Thompson was a 
skillful player, and Matthew Stephens was skillful 
enough to interest him. Matthew Stephens was 
never seen without a cigar. He had acquired the 
skill to smoke a cigar to its bittermost end. To do 
this successfully, he resorted to the aid of a match 
or a toothpick, with which he would dexterously 
penetrate the burning stump and hold it in safety 


30 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


to his lips, and puff at it complacently to its utter 
end, the cigar having become altogether too small 
to hold between his fingers or with his lips. Mr. 
Matthew Stephens was by occupation an insurance 
agent. He solicited fire and life insurance, and 
kept a pair of ponies and a buggy, in which buggy 
he could frequently be seen scouring the country 
in search of business. Stephens spoke in rather a 
pleasant drawl, using many of the odd colloquial- 
isms that flourished in that section of the state. 
It so happened that Mr. Streetfield questioned Ste- 
phens as to the whereabouts of Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son's house, and he kindly volunteered to guide 
Reginald to the lawyer's residence, jumping into 
the buggy beside him to do so. 

During the short interval that elapsed, Mr. Mat 
Stephens had adroitly questioned Reginald, as to 
his name, his nationality, his place of residence in 
England, his father's occupation, his own occupa- 
tion, the reasons for his being in America, the 
length of time he purposed staying, what he 
thought of the country, and how he liked it. To 
all of these questions Reginald had apparently 
vouchsafed satisfactory answers, for Mr. Mat Ste- 
phens proceeded to descant upon the many virtues 
of Mr. Silas Thompson. '‘Why, sir," he said, “he 
is the smartest man in the country. He cannot be 
beat anywhere for law. That man, sir, has forgot- 
ten more than all of us in the village ever knew. 
You can tell your friends, Mr. Streetfield, when you 
get back to England, that you met one of the 
smartest men in America." 

When they arrived at their destination, Mr. 
Silas Thompson having observed them approach- 
ing, was awaiting their advent on the porch, and 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


31 


he came forward to greet Mr. Streetfield. 

“Hello, Si,” said Mr. Stephens, “I have directed 
this stranger to your house. How are things, 
Silas? Pretty good, I hope. Well, I guess I better 
be walking back. Good-bye, sir. I am very happy 
to have made your acquaintance. Any time you 
are down this way, be sure to ask for Mat Ste- 
phens, and if I can accommodate you in any way, 
I will just be too glad to do so. I am in the insur- 
ance business, Mr. Streetfield, and my office is in 
the middle of the block, on the east side of the 
street, the next building south of the post-office. 
I have, Mr. Streetfield, a right smart pair of 
ponies, and I would like some time to show you 
around our country. We have a very lovely coun- 
try around here, and some of the finest land that 
the sun shines on. Good-bye, sir. Good luck to you. 
Don’t forget to give me a call the next time you are 
in Great Hope. Good-bye.” 

“Good-bye, Mr. Stephens,” said Mr. Streetfield, 
cheerily. “You have been most kind, and I want 
to thank you. I trust I shall have the pleasure 
of meeting you again. You can depend upon my 
taking advantage of your kind offer to drive me 
around the country.” 

Mr. Stephens, shaking hands with Streetfield 
and ta-ta-ing to Silas, sauntered slowly down the 
street. Mr. Silas Thompson, after greeting Mr. 
Streetfield, led the way into the house. “Welcome, 
sir,” he said. “I assure you I highly appreciate 
your visit.” They entered the house together, and 
Mr. Streetfield made a hasty inventory of its con- 
tents. All around the room setting taut against 
the wall, were crudely-made bookcases filled with 
law and other books. In the center of the room 


32 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


was a long heavy mahogany-stained table, upon 
which lay, apparently in the direst confusion, 
books and papers of all kinds, pens, pencils, blot- 
ting-pads, and several sheets of large white fools- 
cap paper. There were several heavy rocking- 
chairs, and a few small upright ones scattered 
about the room, the walls of which were neatly 
papered and hung all over with large framed en- 
gravings of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, and 
other eminent Americans and also several well- 
known pictures of the battles of the Civil war, 
Shiloh, Look-out Mountain, Antietam, Coal Har- 
bor, and Gettysburg. 

Mr. Streetfield sat down in one of the rocking 
chairs that Mr. Silas Thompson had drawn up, 
while he sat on another. They talked long and 
discoursed on many topics, tete-a-tete. 

Mr. Silas Thompson was a well-informed man, 
and singularly free from prejudice, religious, na- 
tional, political, or social, the very best type, in- 
deed, of an American citizen. He was fond of 
talking when he found an intelligent and ready lis- 
tener, and he certainly found one in Mr. Street- 
field, who was only too eager to learn so many 
facts first-hand, as it were. It was not long before 
Mr. Thompson began to speak of Mary MacKen- 
neth? and Mr. Streetfield was soon in possession of 
all the facts of her ancestry, her mother’s early 
demise, and he heard all about her wonderful qual- 
ifications and gifts. The lawyer, who was an in- 
veterate smoker, produced some very fine cigars, 
which Mr. Streetfield found much to his liking. 
Thus he passed several very pleasant hours. Mr. 
Streetfield learned all about the Wilcoxes, and he 
heard about Emily Lawrence, and her parents, but 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


33 


he was puzzled to find that the good lawyer was a 
little cynical about George Wilcox, although he 
said nothing of a disparaging nature about him. 
It was in disposition, that Mr. Streetfield gauged 
that Mr. Thompson found George wanting. He 
conveyed the impression to him that George Wil- 
cox had an uncertain disposition, but otherwise he 
seemed to regard him as a clever, industrious, well- 
educated, and well-meaning young man. 

As Mr. Streetfield was about to say farewell to 
Mr. Thompson, Angus MacKenneth and Mary drove 
up in a buggy, the exact counterpart of the one 
he had driven over in. The greetings over, Mr. 
MacKenneth asked Streetfield whether he pur- 
posed driving back to the Wilcox plantation, and if 
so, would he take Mary with him, as he had some 
business with Mr. Silas Thompson, and with two or 
three others in the village. 

To this request Mr. Streetfield readily acceded. 
He had admired from the first the splendid poise 
and carriage of the girl, her innate modesty, and 
her utter lack of pretension and self-assertion, and 
the absence of anything savoring of prudery. 

It required quite a little skill to get in and out 
of one of these American buggies gracefully, and 
one has to acquire the knack. If one purposes sit- 
ting on the right, the left foot would have to be 
placed on the step, and by quick rotary movement 
the body has to be swung inwards, then back- 
wards, and outwards, in a half-circle, so as to ac- 
commodate itself to the right hand seat, and vice 
versa with the left. The reverse of this process 
has to be gone through in getting out of it. Mary 
and Mr. Streetfield being seated, Mary on the right, 
as she had volunteered to drive, they started away 


34 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


with a jerk, for the horse evidently appreciated 
the fact that he was now on his homeward jour- 
ney. Mr. Streetfield was greatly charmed with the 
naive conversation of the girl by his side, and she 
appeared perfectly willing to talk with the utter 
absence of any restraint or backwardness. Mary 
was so thoroughly natural that to act otherwise 
would have been tout au contraire, of her whole 
character. 

“You ask me,” she said, replying to his question. 
“How I fill in my hours. To begin at the begin- 
ning, I rise early. I am always up with the birds. 
Father likes his breakfast early, so I get him his 
breakfast. After our breakfast, I do the house- 
work; not having a very pretentious establishment, 
it does not take me overly long. I generally get 
through by nine o'clock. Then I sit down and work 
at my studies for a little while. After that I go 
for a walk, for half an hour or so, or if father 
wishes me to accompany him anywhere, I go with 
him. Usually we are back in time for dinner, that 
is, if we have not already dined with Uncle Si. 
Sometimes we drive over to Uncle Wilcox for din- 
ner. When at home, I usually get dinner for father 
at twelve, and get through my after-dinner work 
by one, or half past. After that I am free to do 
as I like until supper time. But I generally go 
over to the Wilcoxes in the afternoons for instruc- 
tion. Emily and I, you know, share a governess. 
I take lessons in muisic, in singing, in drawing, in 
English literature, in French, German, Latin, Gen- 
eral history, and in other subjects such as mathe- 
matics, geography, etc. We have an excellent 
teacher, and papa seems quite satisfied with the 
progress I am making with my studies. We usually 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


35 


have supper at half past five, and during the long 
winter evenings I often play and sing for papa, for 
an hour or so, and should he be otherwise engaged, 
I read, study, or sew. Sometimes father and I play 
chess. Father is fond of the game, and although 
I am but a poor opponent, I sometimes win. We 
usually go to bed about half past nine or ten, as 
we are fairly early risers, as I have already told 
you. During the long summer evenings we fre- 
quently drive over to the Wilcoxes or to Great 
Hope to see Uncle Si. This has been my life ever 
since I came back to our mountain home, for since 
mother’s death I have been staying at the Wil- 
coxes, taking my studies with Emily, and we have 
always shared a governess between us. We have an 
admirable teacher, but I am afraid we try her 
patience very much at times by our inattention 
and carelessness. She is particularly proficient in 
mathematics, and has made of me, I believe, a 
fairly good mathematician. She is very scrupu- 
lous in her choice of words, and sternly reproves 
us when we make use of a slang expression. She 
appears horrified whenever she detects either 
Emily or myself using anything but pure, uncor- 
rupted English. Besides, I have a pony, and we 
are great friends. I often ride him, and I think 
I know every square yard of these mountain sides. 
He is a sure footed animal, and I feel perfectly 
safe on his back, and he literally scales the moun- 
tain bridle-paths. On Sundays we go to church at 
Great Hope, and then over to Uncle Si’s or perhaps 
to Uncle Wilcox’s for dinner. So, taking one day 
with another, I pass my life placidly and like the 
brooklet I keep the even tenor of my way.” 

The charming naivete and unconventional flux 


36 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


de mots, or flow of words from Mary, would have 
charmed any hearer. Upon the strong and impul- 
sive nature of Reginald Streetfield, it had a most 
intensely interesting effect. Mary was but a child, 
and so Mr. Streetfield regarded her, and he was 
constrained le droit du plus fort to ponder to 
himself that when Mary grew into full woman- 
hood, she bade fair to drive the young men of her 
acquaintance to desperation. Mary was not in the 
least a coquette, but was simply a girl that lived 
close to nature, and had succeeded unconsciously, to 
be sure, in blending all that was beautiful and 
chaste around her into her own being. 

Mary, on her part, was greatly interested to 
learn of England, and of the English, of English 
ways, and of Reginald's life in college, and of his 
association with her cousin George Wilcox, and 
how it all came about, and of their many escapades 
and pranks in Oxford. Upon all of these, Reginald 
in his turn, interestingly descanted. 

Reginald, however, was somewhat concerned to 
observe that Mary, too, spoke of George Wilcox 
with some reserve; and, coupling this with what 
Mr. Silas Thompson had hinted, and with his own 
observation, he concluded that Mary resented the 
attentions which he could not help observing her 
cousin George had perhaps unintentionally obliged 
her to accept. Reginald was aware of the fact that 
there was an understanding between George and 
his parents that he was to marry Emily Lawrence, 
when that young lady was grown up. He accord- 
ingly dismissed from his mind any surmises of an 
unworthy nature as being disloyal to his old friend 
George. Mr. Streetfield was by nature a close ob- 
server of men and things, and it was seldom that 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


37 


anything noteworthy escaped him, but he was by 
no manner of means a Paul Pry. His powers of 
observation had been well developed at home, at 
school, and at college. His fondness for such 
studies as botany, natural history, and biology, and 
his work in microscopical analysis, all these had 
helped to develop in him this talent of observation 
that he already possessed in an eminent degree. 

In due time they arrived at the Wilcox planta- 
tion, and, having safely deposited Mary there, 
Reginald turned the horse and buggy over to the 
care of a son of Africa, one of the servants at the 
Wilcox plantation. 

Reginald Streetfield's stay in Tennessee was of 
a most enjoyable and delightful nature. He had 
not forgotten the generous offer of Mr. Matthew 
Stephens to drive him over the country, and we 
may as well state here as elsewhere that Mr. Mat 
Stephens and Reginald became quite good friends. 
Mr. Mat Stephens, true to his word, helped greatly 
toward making Reginald's stay in Tennessee such 
a delightful one. He would often drive over to the 
Wilcox plantation in his buggy, with his really 
splendid ponies, and would take Mr. Streetfield with 
him all over the country, passing through entranc- 
ingly beautiful and fertile valleys, and between the 
mountain crags and over their heavily timbered 
sides. In this way Reginald was able to explore 
every nook and cranny in that section of the coun- 
try. Mr. Mat Stephens' mind was replete with 
local lore, and many an interesting description did 
he give Reginald, and many an interesting tale did 
he relate of the mountain folk. These drives, with 
Matthew Stephens, Reginald recalled for many a 


38 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


year afterward as one of the most enjoyable fea- 
tures of his stay in Tennessee. 

The Wilcoxes and their friends, Silas Thompson, 
Angus MacKenneth, and Miss Mary MacKenneth, 
were as manna in the wilderness to Reginald, so 
that when the hour for his departure drew near, 
he was loath to part from his hospitable and kind 
friends, and their interesting neighbors. A warm 
friendship had sprung up between Mr. Thompson 
and himself, also with Mr. Angus MacKenneth, and 
as for Mary, Reginald regarded her with an almost 
brotherly affection. 

Reginald, during his frequent perigrinations 
through Great Hope and also by his associations 
with Silas Thompson and Mr. Mat Stephens had 
become known to many of the villagers, from 
whom his frank and friendly demeanor elicited a 
generous response. He was greatly interested in 
their peculiar traits and characteristics, and their 
quaint idioms of speech, which strongly reminded 
him of Englishmen who had lived and had had 
their being a century ago. There is not a shadow 
of a doubt that some of the instincts of the ancient 
Briton have been preserved by the descendants of 
those who long ago had migrated to the American 
colonies, and who have resided there since, in out 
of the way and distant provinces, far from the 
madding influences) of an ever changing world. 
Some highly commendable and admirable instincts 
and traits, not often met with and seen in the 
present day Briton, have been preserved by these 
sequestered descendants of ancient Britons in these 
distant places. 

Mr. Streetfield had promised many of his newly 
made friends that he would visit them again, even 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


39 


though he would have to make a special journey 
to do so. 

'T reckon,” said one villager, who was the jus- 
tice of the peace of the village, and an acknowl- 
edged sage, 'T reckon that this here Britisher has 
certainly made many friends among us, and they 
tell me he is one of them gol-darned aristocrats, 
too. It beats all what notions we get of them 
British Lords. But I am going to take all of mine 
back. Take it all back, what I used to think. Why, 
boys, I used to think that them Lords were that 
proud, haughty, and arrogant, with no thought at 
all for other people's feelings, but this here Mr. 
Streetfield, he is surely a friendly man, and falls 
right in with our American spirit. 'Your name is 
Streetfire,' says I, when I was introduced to him. 
‘No, Streetfield,' says he. ‘An odd name,' says I. 
‘Hard to remember?' asks he. ‘Very hard,' says I. 
‘Call me Reginald then. That is not hard to re- 
member. It will simplify matters,’ says he. Now 
what do you think of a British aristocrat asking a 
poor unbeknown man like myself, living in this 
here village, to call him by his given name? Say, 
boys, that young man, he is of the right sort. He 
would make a right good American citizen, and 
would, I am sure, gol darn it, boys, if he were a 
citizen, vote the democratic ticket.” 

“What in the devil's name, Jake, does this young 
man know of the democratic ticket or party ? May- 
be if he lived in this country he would soon be 
hobnobbing with them money bugs, but I agree 
with you, Jake, that he is a good sort, and just the 
kind of a young feller I would like to see senator 
from Tennessee. There is no upstart nonsense 
about him. What do you all say, boys?” 


40 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


“Aye! Aye, you are right, Tim, and right sorry 
are we to see him go,'' answered one of the 
crowd. :j 

Thus was the sentiment of this little village ex- 
pressed towards Mr. Streetfield on his departure 
for England. 

It was decided that George Wilcox and Mr. Silas 
Thompson were to accompany Mr. Streetfield to 
Boston, from which port he intended sailing. The 
almost boyish delight, shown by Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son at the prospect of accompanying Reginald to 
Boston was refreshing to see. 

“Now, Mr. Streetfield," he said on being asked, 
“We shall indeed be a party of three parts. You, 
sir, are to be the party of the first part, and Mr. 
George Wilcox, the party of the second part, and 
my insignificant self, the party of the third part. 
Now, whereas ttie party of the first part, having 
graciously vouchsafed to invite the party of the 
third part, to wit, one Silas Thompson, he, the 
party of the third part, wishes to express his ap- 
preciation to the party of the first part, to wit, 
Reginald Streetfield, and he wishes to assure him, 
the party of the first part, that he, Mr. Silas 
Thompson, the party of the third part does most 
cordially accept that invitation." 

Thus it came about that Mr. Silas Thompson, 
with the solicitous aid of Aunt Janet, was arrayed 
in his very best county-court suit, with black 
trousers, tightly fitting his thin legs down to the 
top of his shoes, and a waistcoat of spotlessly 
laundered white pique, with an ample opening ex- 
hibiting a profusion of white frilled shirt-front, a 
white cravat, with a black swallow-tail coat, and a 
tall black hat with a wide brim. 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


41 


Silas Thompson, thus arrayed, might have read- 
ily just stepped out of the eighteenth century. Mr. 
Streetfield and George Wilcox were highly amused 
at his odd and grotesque appearance, and Mr. Wil- 
cox did not refrain from passing many a pleasant- 
ry upon Mr. Thompson's appearance. All of these 
quips seemed to immeasurably gratify Mr. Thomp- 
son, so much so that Streetfield was at a loss to 
know how to act, whether to come to the rescue 
of Mr. Thompson, or to join in the laughter of 
George Wilcox; and he finally compromised by ask- 
ing his friend Wilcox to cease from his witticisms 
on the personal appearance of Silas, and give some 
attention to other topics. This had the desired 
effect. But Mr. Streetfield was much amused when 
Mr. Thompson very seriously remarked to him, 
“Do you know, Mr. Streetfield, that our profession 
lost and abandoned many of its noblest and highest 
ideals when it discarded its distinctive sartorial 
bearing. I, sir, retain our ancient mode of dress, 
and I trust also the ancient traditions of our pro- 
fession. I deign to do this, sir, as a protest against 
the inroads that have been made, in modern times, 
upon the great principles of a noble profession.” 

They were indeed a friendly trio, and Mr. 
Thompson's natural wit and bonhomie were never 
exhibited to better advantage than when he was 
with these two young men. Arriving at Boston, 
they literally took the town by storm, as Mr. Silas 
Thompson expressed it, and he, being well ac- 
quainted with all the points of historical and local 
interest of that city, piloted and guided Mr. Street- 
field around. 

We have anticipated somewhat, and will have to 
retrace our steps to the hour when Mr. Streetfield 


42 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


said good-bye to his hospitable hosts and their 
friend. We have to recount how hearty were the 
handshakings, and how genuine the expressions of 
regret, and how sincere were the many good 
wishes and the many hopes expressed for their 
meeting again in the near future. 

Angus MacKenneth and Mary were there to say 
good-bye. Mary had come to regard Mr. Street- 
field as if he were, indeed, one of the family. She 
sincerely regretted his departure. Miss Grace Wil- 
cox felt very much the same way, and dear little 
Miss Emily Lawrence, she was genuinely affected, 
too. 

It was really an implied compliment to Street- 
field^s many admirable qualities of mind and char- 
acter that he should have engendered in so short 
a time, and in so many of those he had come in 
contact with in Great Hope, such genuine feelings 
of regret. Nor did he omit to remember that 
Africo-American, who had looked after the horse 
he used to ride and drive around so much. He, 
too, received a hearty shake of the hand and a 
very liberal largess. It may be remarked in pass- 
ing that although the whites of the southern 
states resent bitterly any attempt or claim toward 
social equality, on the part of the blacks, yet they 
are not at all stand-offish, or snobbish in their re- 
lationship to the black population. As a matter 
of fact, a colored servant often takes liberties of 
speech with his white employer along certain lines. 
The black servant often admonishes and advises 
his white employer and even laughs heartily at any 
of his master's mistakes. The blacks are by no 
means servile or cringing in their attitude when 
addressing the whites. Rather are they suave and 


ARCADIA IN TENNESSEE 


43 


mild-mannered, overflowing with an abundance of 
good humor. Their usually free and easy method 
of speech is not altered when addressing their 
white masters. and they are as happy-go-lucky and 
as care-free when addressing the whites as when 
addressing one another. 

The whites, on the other hand, to do them jus- 
tice, do not exact or expect a servile attitude on 
the part of the blacks. All they demand is a re- 
spectful and good natured attitude. It matters but 
little to a white employer what his dark employee 
says, if only he will say it in a respectful and 
good natured way, other things being equal. Thus 
it comes about that an amazing amount of freedom 
and latitude of speech is indulged in between the 
whites and blacks, which to Mr. Streetfleld, at 
times, seemed undignifled, but he did not suffcient- 
ly appreciate the fact that both the whites and 
the blacks were born and reared under the same 
political conditions, and environments, and that 
naturally, a bond of intimacy was bound to grow 
up between the two races, a sort of human kin- 
ship between those whose interests touch at so 
many points, although social affiliations will al- 
ways be denied the black population by the whites. 

It was interesting, Reginald thought, to specu- 
late as to what may be the ultimate outcome of 
these apparently paradoxical racial and social con- 
ditions. Perhaps the blacks are destined to ab- 
sorb the whites after centuries of struggle, or 
perhaps the black races may die out in course of 
time, of this up to the present there is not the 
slightest evidence. Rather, to the contrary, they 
are increasing very rapidly. ''But suffcient,” he 
said to himself, "unto the day are the evils there- 


44 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of, and that Dame Nature,” he communed, ‘*has her 
own way of adjusting her own incongruities and 
contradictions.” These were some of the reflections 
of Mr. Streetfield as he journeyed homeward from 
the Southland. 

After an interesting and enjoyable stay of a 
few days in Boston, Mr. Streetfield bade his good 
friends a hearty farewell, and sailed for home. 


CHAPTER III 

A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 

Sir William Streetfield, baronet, the father of 
Reginald, was about forty-six years of age when our 
story opened, but he looked older than this. His 
early manhood had been one of sorrow and suffer- 
ing which accounted for his appearing older than 
he really was. Sir William had married early in 
life, when he was barely twenty-four. He married 
a beautiful and charming girl, the daughter of a 
neighboring squire, a Miss Alice Darnell, who died 
giving birth to the hero of our story, Reginald. 

Sir William was inconsolable over the death of 
his wife. Leaving his little son Reginald when he 
was about two years old, in the care of a widowed 
sister, who was to supervise Streetfield Manor dur- 
ing his absence, he left on an extended exploring 
expedition into the heart of Africa. For over two 
years he wandered over the inhospitable regions of 
Central Africa. When at length he returned home, 
it was clearly obvious to those who had known him, 
that he was but a shadow of his former self. The 
terrible experiences and hardships attendant upon 
his delving into the jungles of Central Africa had 
left their mark upon him. Further than this, he 
had become infected with a pernicious form of 
malaria, so prevalent in those regions. Sir William 
was conveyed in ah almost moribund condition to 
the hospital at Mombasa and under the skillful 
treatment and unremitting care of the English 
Army Surgeon in charge of the hospital there, he 
was gradually nursed back to life, and when suffi- 
ciently recovered, was peremptorily ordered back 
to England by his medical attendant. 


46 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


For months after returning to England Sir Wil- 
liam was under the constant care of a physician, 
and finally regained his vigor, although he still re- 
mained subject to sudden relapses of his dreaded 
malady. The ultimely death of Lady Streetfield and 
his own illness caused a melancholy strain to de- 
velop in the otherwise sunny and cheerful dispo- 
sition of Sir William Streetfield. He gradually 
withdrew more and more within himself, and his 
whole life now seemed to be wrapped up in that of 
his son Reginald, who at this time was about five 
years old. 

Sir William would, on occasions, remain seated 
for quite a long time in his large and comfortable 
leather chair and watch the lively romping of his 
boy. The boy, on his part, was strongly drawn to 
his father. To have occasioned even a reproachful 
look from his father would bring tears into the 
eyes of the little fellow, and it was only by the 
earnest reassurance of his father that the boy's 
grief could be assuaged. 

As Reginald approached the age of five, the 
problem of providing him with a governess became 
pressing, and engaged the serious consideration of 
Sir William, who decided upon consulting his old 
and greatly esteemed friend and his near-neighbor, 
the Rev. Dr. Thomas Sharpe, the rector of the 
parish. 

The Streetfield Manor and demesnes lay adjacent 
to the river Severn. From the gateway which lay 
to the south of the grounds was a roadway, lead- 
ing northward, and lined on either side with stately 
and beautiful elms. As this picturesque road ap- 
proached the Manor, it turned sharply to the west, 
to reach that building. Between this beautiful 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 47 


avenue of elms, as it ran north, and the Manor 
House, which stood fully two hundred yards to the 
west, lay a wide stretch of lawn, broken here and 
there by clusters of ornamental shrubbery and 
lordly oak. Further north and well west again, 
were the stables and out-buildings, separated from 
the Manor House by another beautiful lawn inter- 
sected by a graveled road. Toward the south and 
west of the Manor spread the great Streetfield 
estates; stretches of timber alternating with rich 
pasture and farm lands could be seen extending 
away in the distance. 

Upon these rich pasture lands hundreds of cattle 
peacefully cropped the verdant and succulent grass. 
The Streetfield Estate was famed for its rich pas- 
ture lands and the lords of the Manor for many 
years held the reputation of producing as fine a 
stock of cattle as could be seen anywhere in 
England. The present occupant was not any the 
less of an enthusiast in this enterprise than any 
of his predecessors, and Sir William devoted a 
great deal of his money and energy in keeping up 
the reputation of the Streetfield breed of cattle. 

The Streetfield Manor was built in Elizabethan 
style. At each comer stood a turreted tower, and 
trailing roses of both the red and yellow varieties 
crept over these towers, completely covering the 
walls of the ancient structure. In June, when the 
roses were in bloom the beauty of the Manor House 
was entrancing beyond description. 

The Streetfield estates comprised several thou- 
sand acres, with a yearly rent roll of twelve thou- 
sand pounds. 

No landlords were ever more respected and re- 
vered by their peasantry than were the lords of 


48 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Streetfield Manor. On the other hand this devo^ 
tion and respect was merited, for no landlords 
were ever more solicitous of the welfare of their 
tenants than were the Streetfields as far back as 
the memory of the oldest tenant could carry. Many 
tales were extant as to the numerous acts of spon- 
taneous generosity shown to the tenantry by the 
masters of Streetfield. 

To his tenants the untimely death of Lady 
Streetfield was a matter of sincere regret, and they 
sorrowed with the master, as he was generally 
called. Prayers and good wishes had followed him 
all throughout his long absence in Africa. On his 
return there was a sincere demonstration of pleas- 
ure and Sir William found his time taken up with 
the many duties incumbent upon the supervision of 
his estates. 

Little Reginald aroused a good deal of interest 
among the tenants. The sadness of his advent lent 
additional interest to his being. It behooved Sir 
William to see that his son was not overindulged 
by these kind-hearted and sympathetic people. 
Reginald had reached the age of five years, and 
the grave consideration of securing a governess for 
him presented itself. 

Hitherto, the sister of Sir William had super- 
vised his household and the early care of the boy; 
but she, kind soul that she was, had since Sir 
William’s return, taken suddenly ill and died, leav- 
ing the care of the child and household to a Miss 
Crawford, the housekeeper, a most estimable 
woman in her way. 

Sir William was conscious of the great impor- 
tance it was to a young mind to have nothing but 
the highest influences brought to bear upon it. The 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 49 


tender and the supple limb is so easily bent and so 
greatly twisted and distorted by early malign in- 
fluences. This disfigurement is almost certain to 
be retained in maturer years. Sir William deter- 
mined to use caution and judgment in the choice 
of a governess for his boy. He therefore, con- 
sulted the Reverend Dr. Thomas Sharpe in the 
matter, as mentioned before. 

One fine morning he strolled over to the rectory, 
which was within easy walking distance of the 
Manor. The rectory was one of those quaint com- 
modious old fashioned buildings so frequently seen 
in England. The truth of that common saying, 
current since the reformation, “parsons and larg<? 
families,” must have impressed itself upon tne 
builders of these parsonages scattered all over 
England, for they are for the most part commodi- 
ously built. 

Dr. Sharpe was at home and in his roomy 
library. The walls of this room were lined with 
bookcases filled to their utmost capacity. The rec- 
tor was a small man. His face was clean-shaven, 
with rather a large nose and wide kindly and 
inquiring eyes. He arose from his seat at the an- 
nouncement of Sir William's arrival, and cordially 
greeted him. 

Sir William had always entertained a very high 
appreciation of the rector’s erudition, and sound 
judgment. They had long been warm friends, and 
had spent in the past many an evening hour to- 
gether. They had often talked over Reginald’s 
future. Sir William wished to enlist the good serv- 
ices of the rector in procuring a suitable instrucress 
for his boy. 

In stating his wishes to the parson, he said, ^‘I 


50 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


do not want a bos bleu, as the French say, or a. 
blue stocking, as we say it here, but a good whole- 
some well-bred English girl. I shall be more than 
liberal with her salary and I would prefer someone 
from a family to whom a liberal salary would be of 
material benefit and help. I want one whose char- 
acter is such that it would influence for good the 
tender mind of my boy.” 

‘T see. I see what you need. Sir William and 
as the Latins used to say, *lo7igum iter est per 
precepta, breve et efficax per exempla!' which 
when translated means, ‘Long is the way through 
precept, short and effective through example,^ and 
I believe that I have the one you desire for your 
son. Read this letter. Sir William. I received it 
only this morning, from the wife of an old college 
chum of mine. A most extraordinary coincidence. 
Poor Brosby ! you remember meeting him here a 
few years ago. He was at Oxford with me. He 
entered the Missionary Field in India, married, had 
a large family, and died quite unexpectedly from 
an attack of sunstroke. His widow has come home 
with her brood of four girls and three boys. She 
has written to me to ask if I could procure some- 
thing for one of the girls, something after the 
nature of your requirements. Dear Brosby. He 
was a pearl of the first water. I met his wife when 
he was home on leave some years ago. She is a 
woman of estimable character. I had such a 
heartbroken letter from her in India telling 
me of the death of my old chum. Now she has 
written to And out whether I could procure em- 
ployment for her daughter Dora. Dora is nineteen 
and may All, to great advantage, just such a posi- 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 51 


tion you offer. Let me read the letter to you. You 
have no glasses. 

Taking the letter from Sir William the good 
parson read aloud. 

124 Bromely Road, 
Bath, England. 

Dear and Trusted Friend: 

I am writing to you to ask of you a service. My 
daughter Dora, who is a highly educated and ac- 
complished_girl of nineteen, is desirous of obtaining 
a situation where the salary will be remunerative 
and the duties sufficiently arduous to warrant a 
good salary. A governess in a good family would, 
I think, suit Dora, better than anything I know of. 
Dora is blessed with a very sweet, patient disposi- 
tion, and would, I am sure, be able to manage the 
most fractious child. Anything that you can do 
for me, in this direction, would help us materially 
at this time. I am sending you, under separate 
cover some of my dear Jack^s last literary compo- 
sitions. He has written, as you know, some beauti- 
ful lines, and I think that these last, that I send 
you, rank well with his best. Should you at any 
time be near Bath, you must not omit paying us 
a visit. 

With our united regards, 

Sincerely yours, 

Jane Brosby. 

‘T tell you what I will do. Sir William, I am due 
in London next week and I will take advantage of 
the opportunity to run into Bath and see the 
Brosbys. If you care to rely upon my judgment I 
will engage Dora on the terms you may name.” 
do not want to pay anything less than three 


52 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE . 


hundred and fifty pounds a year. This will be of 
some help to her.” 

‘‘Sir William,” rejoined the good parson, enthusi- 
astically, “You are going to be, I verily believe, the 
good angel of this worthy family, but as the Latins 
say, ‘Benigno Numine,’ that is to say, ‘with a 
favoring providence,' I shall bring this young lady 
back with me. You will have to tell Mrs. Craw- 
ford, your housekeeper, to prepare for her recep- 
tion some time next week. 

“I want you to know, Sharpe, that I am not act- 
ing altogether in an unselfish way. Three hundred 
and fifty pounds, I admit, is a much larger sum 
than is usually paid for such services. Money with 
me is not an object, suitability and character are 
what I want. Here is an easy way that opens up 
quite unexpectedly.” 

“Sir William, you are so constantly doing these 
kindly acts and in so gracious a way, that you in- 
variably make the recipient of your generosity 
feel that he or she is doing you the kindness by 
accepting your beneficence.” 

“Stay, stay, doctor. You are doing me too great 
an honor, ascribing to me virtues I do hot possess. 
Providence has been gracious to me in the distri- 
bution of His gifts, and I want to use them to the 
best advantage of my fellow man.” 

“Would to God that there were many more like 
you, Streetfield. Our world would be a happier one 
if the responsibilities of wealth were better under- 
stood and more generally recognized. Come, the 
morning is fine, and as I see you are about to go, 
I will accompany you part of your way home. I 
shall be better able, for the little walk, to con- 
clude my sermon for Sunday.” 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 53 


With this the two worthy gentlemen walked out 
together. They discoursed on many topics until 
the Manor gates were reached. Here Dr. Sharpe 
took his leave, and Sir William walked back 
thoughtfully toward the hall. 

True to his promise, Dr. Sharpe called upon 
Mrs. Brosby at Bath, much to the delight of that 
estimable lady. He further evoked her gratitude 
when he laid before her the proposition of Sir 
William Streetfield. Dora, who was out on an 
errand when he called, returned at this moment, 
and was introduced to the doctor. The good par- 
son was very favorably impressed with the strik- 
ing appearance of the young lady. He rapidly made 
a mental note of her personal appearance and of 
her general demeanor. 

Dora was a lovely girl of nineteen, in the heyday 
and joyousness of her youth. Her face inclined to 
be oval, her hair of the most gorgeous and shim- 
mering golden brown, her complexion very clear 
and white, with a healthy glow of youth upon her 
cheeks. Her eyes, bright and laughing, were dark 
blue in color, almost approximating violet. Her 
nose and mouth were exquisitely formed, her face 
radiated the intelligence that one at a glance ac- 
corded her. She had a well-formed, full figure, and 
was dressed in a becoming suit of dark material 
which seemed to enhance the natural transparency 
of her complexion. 

Dora heard the good news with unfeigned glad- 
ness, and impulsively threw her arms around her 
mother’s neck and affectionately embraced her, 
saying, “How will you all ever get along without 
me, mother dear? May and Elizabeth and Char- 
lotte and the boys. It seems almost impossible for 


54 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


me to leave all of you. But I suppose it will have 
to be. I shall be frightfully homesick.” 

“You will have to be brave, Dora dear. It is for 
the best. We have talked this all over again and 
again, Dr. Sharpe, but dear Dora is quite overcome 
by the suddenness of her good fortune and at the 
prospect of separating from her brothers and sis- 
ters. Please convey to Sir William our appreciation 
of his more than generous offer.” 

“Just think, mama, of my earning three hun- 
dred and fifty pounds a year. Why, we can send 
the boys to school.” 

All this Dora said in so natural and unaffected 
a manner that the doctor was more than ever con- 
vinced of the wisdom of his choice. “I think,” he 
said, “that is what Sir William had in mind when 
he named the salary, although he said nothing about 
that to me. Will you be able to accompany me to- 
morrow?” 

“I am sure that I can get ready in that time, 
can I not, mama dear?” answered Dora enthusi- 
astically. 

It was arranged that Dora should accompany 
Dr. Sharpe next day. 

This is how it came about, that Dora Brosby 
was introduced to Streetfield Manor. Mrs. Craw- 
ford, the housekeeper, had been apprised and well 
had she seen to the comfort of Dora. Of all the 
rooms that Dora had ever occupied, this room that 
was assigned to her was the coziest and the prettiest. 
It opened on a broad terrace and here were choice 
shrubberies nurtured and cared for with infinite 
pains. To the east in the distance the eye rested up- 
on the silvery Severn, wending its sinuous way like a 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 55 


long, shimmering serpent between the high banks 
that here and there, obscured the view. Towards 
the south she could see the timber and the pasture 
lands stretching away as far as the eye could reach. 

Miss Brosby was introduced next day to Sir 
William, who seemed greatly pleased to meet her. 
He warmly shook hands with her, and desired her 
to regard this as her home, as long as she re- 
mained under his roof, and trusted that they would 
prove to be good friends, and that she would not 
find her duties too arduous or exacting, or her 
charge too refractory. All these sentiments and 
wishes Sir William uttered in his usual simple and 
unaffected manner, without the least assumption 
of authority or superiorty. The sweetly modulated 
voice of Dora, as she thanked him for his kind 
wishes, favorably impressed him. He then con- 
ducted her to the school or classroom, and here 
Dora met for the first time her future pupil. 

The impulsive affection of the boy immediately 
removed any apprehension she might have enter- 
tained regarding her future influence over him. 
She was instinctively drawn towards the mother- 
less boy. It was not long before Dora had ar- 
ranged matters of study, of play, and of exercise. 
All this she did with so much good judgment, that 
Reginald insensibly passed into his new sphere of 
life. Whatever Dora did, she did with grace and 
tact. It was done without arousing any resent- 
ment or opposition from Reginald. 

Dora wrote home regularly to her mother, and 
never failed to express her enthusiasm for her 
pupil and for her duties. She spoke also of the un- 
failing courtesy and consideration of Sir William 
towards her, and his appreciation of her efforts on 


56 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Reginald's behalf. Sir William had insisted that 
she should receive her quarterly allowance in ad- 
vance, for he knew well the great help that would 
be towards starting Dora's brothers well on their 
way to school. 

In the course of a few weeks, Dora had so settled 
down to her duties in her new environment that 
she began to be regarded as an established part of 
the household. Sir William would be absent for 
long periods of time; then again he would make a 
lengthy stay at home and Dora soon grew to look 
forward to his advent home. She was pleased to 
hear him express his satisfaction with the care she 
was taking of his son, and for the conscientious 
way she discharged her duties. Sir William readily 
recognized the great improvement already discern- 
able in Reginald's general demeanor and conduct. 
He was a boy of high animal spirits, and it re- 
quired a good deal of tact and firmness on the part 
of Dora to manage him at times without purpos- 
ing to be in the least degree harsh. 

Sir William, when at home, invariably insisted 
that Dora and his boy should be present at the 
noon-day meal, and on rare occasions, would ask 
them to be present at dinner. On such occasions, 
Reginald enjoyed a romp with his father, who al- 
ways unbent himself for his boy. Sir William was 
conscious of the fact that boyhood days are but 
evanescent and that childhood would be soon over, 
and his boy, before he was aware of it, would out- 
grow his rompings and frolics. Hence, whenever 
practicable or feasible, he dropped everything to 
play and romp with his little son, or he would set 
aside his own reading to take his boy upon his 
knee to read to him. He argued with himself that 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 57 


Reginald would soon be able to read fluently him- 
self, and would not then need anybody to read to 
him. Boyhood was a very transitory period, he 
argued, and never again would the opportunity 
come to take his son on his knee and read to him. 
Thus a warm bond of sympathy and affection was 
being established between father and son, which 
grew stronger as Reginald grew older. To Dora 
Brosby this comradeship between Reginald and his 
sire was inexpressibly beautiful. She began to 
share with Reginald his respect and his veneration 
for Sir William. 

Sometimes after the evening meal. Sir William 
would request Miss Brosby to read to him. She 
was a fluent reader, and read with a pleasing mod- 
ulated voice. Sometimes he chose a fairy tale, so 
that Reginald could be interested. Then again it 
was some favorite poem of his, or perhaps it was 
one of the standard novels, which she would read 
through to him on succeeding evenings. At other 
times, he would ask Miss Brosby to sing and play, 
and as she had a sweet, clear and well-cultured 
voice. Sir William was always pleased when she 
did so. Miss Brosby, with her charge, retired from 
the drawing room as soon as ever her duties were 
completed. 

As Dora became better known in the neighbor- 
hood, Sir William would thoughtfully arrange a 
little gathering of those neighbors, whom he con- 
sidered would be congenial to her at dinner. Sir 
William insisted that the utmost courtesy be shown 
Miss Brosby by all who came under the roof of 
Streetfield Manor. On ordinary evenings Miss 
Brosby filled in the time in the company of the 
housekeeper. Miss Crawford, with sewing, or she 


58 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


would read or write until bed time. Thus her days 
passed quietly and uneventfully. She was quite 
happy in her work and in her surroundings. 

On several occasions her sisters came to visit 
her at the suggestion of Sir William. These were 
indeed happy days for the four girls. They would 
take Reginald with them and roam through the 
woods and over the pastures of Streetfield, making 
nosegays of wild flowers. Sir William, if happening 
to be at home, was more than usually gracious to the 
young people, thoughtfully planning everything 
that would give them pleasure. At one time it was 
an excursion here, and another time an excursion 
there. Then again it would be a ride through the 
country. The girls looked back with pleasant 
memories to their short holidays at Streetfield 
Manor. Miss Brosby was greatly interested in 
Sunday School and Church work and was ever will- 
ing to give her services and render any aid in that 
direction and the Reverend Dr. Sharpe was highly 
appreciative of all the kind and valuable services 
rendered the parish by Dora, and so were all the 
many earnest workers in his parish. As Miss 
Brosby became better known to the people of the 
county, it was only natural to predict that a 
young lady so beautiful and possessing so many 
talents, and such excellent qualities, would make 
some impression upon the youth of the neighbor- 
hood and such, indeed, did it prove to be. 

There was a young gentleman by the name of 
Edward Oglesby, the son of a neighboring squire, 
who fell hopelessly in love with Miss Dora Brosby, 
and he sought her company on every possible oc- 
casion. He would call to see Sir William on the 
most flimsy pretexts, in the hope of meeting her. 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 59 


Often he would volunteer to accompany her out 
riding. Miss Brosby was a good horsewoman, and 
frequently indulged in this form of exercise. Mr. 
Oglesby would volunteer to accompany her on 
visits she contemplated making in connection with 
her work in the parish. It soon became obvious 
to Miss Brosby, as well as to Sir William, and to 
several of her friends that Mr. Edward Oglesby’s 
solicitude for her was prompted by feelings deeper 
than those of mere friendship, and comradeship. 
By the prompting, no doubt, of Mr. Oglesby, Miss 
Brosby was often invited by his mother and sister 
to social functions at the Oglesbys’ home, and a 
warm feeling of friendship sprang up between 
Miss Dora Brosby and Edward’s mother and sister, 
who were English ladies of the best and most ex- 
cellent type. 

Dora Brosby soon became a prime favorite 
among the county families, and also among the 
tenantry of the Streetfield estate. She was great- 
ly admired for her amiability, her beauty, and her 
excellent qualities of mind and disposition. 

Mr. Edward Oglesby’s attentions became more 
and more noticeable, and Miss Dora hardly went 
anywhere that she did not meet him. 

She looked upon him in the light of an agree- 
able, kind friend, and companion, but she could not 
disguise from herself the now too-plainly-to-be- 
seen, admiration of Mr. Edward Oglesby. 

A few months after she had met him, they 
were walking together through the extensive or- 
chard that the Manor was justly proud of, and 
when they had reached a secluded spot, Edward, 
taking advantage of the favorable opportunity, dis- 
closed his feelings to Dora. Dora, although she 


60 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


was not altogether surprised at this declaration of 
Mr. Oglesby, and which she had instinctively felt 
for sometime was inevitable, still she was at con- 
siderable loss to know how to proceed, or how to 
act, or what to say. The usual intuition of a 
woman came to her rescue, and she was able to 
give Mr. Oglesby a proper appreciation of her own 
feelings towards him; and he was told that while 
she was not unappreciative of the great honor he 
was doing her by asking her to be his wife, still, 
at the same time, she was convinced he would 
shrink from marrying any woman of whose love 
and affection he was not assured; that she had a 
great regard for him as a friend and a comrade, 
and trusted that they would remain so. On his 
further urging his suit, Dora told him without any 
affectation, or reserve, that she was sure that she 
could never come to regard him in any other light 
than that of a warm and dear friend, and that she 
would long hesitate before she consented to do any 
man so great an injustice as to marry him, when 
she felt quite conscious and quite convinced that 
she could never under any circumstances regard 
him with that deep and hallowed affection which a 
woman ought to possess for the man upon whom 
she purposed bestowing her hand. 

Mr. Edward Oglesby was a man of high princi- 
ple and was too chivalrous to further press his 
suit when he was so clearly given to understand 
the real feelings that Dora held towards him, and 
he took his refusal in good part, begging her not 
to let this declaration in any way affect their usual 
intimacy and comradeship, to which request Dora 
most gladly and graciously assented. 

Sir William Streetfield had for some time past 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 61 


been cognizant of young Oglesby's attentions to 
Miss Brosby and had watched the deportment of 
the young people with a good deal of interest, if 
not anxiety, which he found hard to explain. He 
had seen them v^alking in the orchard, and he was 
conscious that his own heart-beats were so un- 
usually accelerated that he was constrained to con- 
fess to himself that he too had insensibly become 
fond of Dora. He remembered too, with pleasure, 
that while Miss Brosby was frank and free in her 
comradeship with young Oglesby, there v/as noth- 
ing to be observed in her behavior that could in 
the least way be construed into coquettish or frivo- 
lous conduct. 

Sir William was startled when he awoke to the 
fact that he had actually become attached to the 
governess of his boy. 

After watching Dora and Oglesby disappear into 
the orchard, he turned his footsteps into the 
library and there he sat and pondered deeply. He 
took himself to task. His conduct and bearing to- 
wards Dora at all times had been most scrupu- 
lously correct, honorable and proper, and she on 
her part, had never given him any reason whatso- 
ever to think that any attention of his towards her 
would be acceptable. 

Sir William Streetfield could not find a single 
reason for his being drawn towards Dora, except 
that she was Dora Brosby, and nobody else. He 
felt, however, that now this discovery was pur- 
poseless. Doubtless young Oglesby had, already, 
asked Dora to marry him, and she surely would not 
throw away so great an opportunity of making an 
excellent marriage. Nothing was plainer or more 
obvious to Sir William Streetfield than that. There 


62 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


was no purpose in his worrying as to what his own 
feelings were towards Dora. 

He arose and went to the window that over- 
looked the orchard, with an air of expectancy upon 
his usually somewhat saddened countenance. He 
presently saw them come out of the orchard. Dora 
was leading, and Oglesby followed a few feet 
behind her, with an expression upon his face of 
distress and disappointment, which it would have 
been difficult to have misunderstood. Sir William 
drew away from the window. He did not wish to 
be seen by either of the young people. He heard 
Dora come in alone, and divined that Oglesby had 
left. His feelings strongly urged him to go to 
Dora and learn from her what had really hap- 
pened, but he felt that he had no warrant for such 
presumption. 

Sir William decided that he would think over the 
matter as to what course to pursue. That night 
he struggled with himself and his own feelings. 
He had to confess that he was more in love with 
Dora than he was at first willing to admit; and he 
gleaned some comfort from the hope, prompted no 
doubt by his wish, that Dora had rejected the suit 
of Mr. Oglesby. After a restless and sleepless 
night he arose betimes. 

Sir William busied himself before the noon hour 
by riding over his estates and attending to matters 
needing his supervision, endeavoring, in this way 
to employ his thoughts. He had arrived at the 
decision, after mature thought, that the only hon- 
orable course for him to pursue would be to ascer- 
tain from Miss Brosby herself, any changed rela- 
tionship that might have taken place between her- 
self and Mr. Oglesby. 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 63 


Having decided upon this course of action, after 
the mid-day meal, he requested Miss Brosby’s pres- 
ence in the library. Nor did Dora regard this 
request as anything unusual, as she had at various 
times ; conferences with Sir William over certain 
methods of procedure that she had adopted from 
time to time in her instruction of Reginald. 

‘Tray be seated. Miss Brosby,'' said Sir Wil- 
liam, as she entered the library. 

For the first time Miss Brosby experienced a 
sort of ill-defined apprehension and fear. She im- 
mediately decided in her own mind that she was 
perhaps unduly nervous after her unpleasant meet- 
ing and distressing ordeal with Mr. Oglesby the 
day before. 

“I have asked you here,’' began Sir William, 
“In order to clear up a situation which concerns 
yourself primarily. In doing so I am desirous of 
avoiding anything that might appear to you an 
intrusion upon your private affairs and your feel- 
ings. I am going to ask you a very direct ques- 
tion, Miss Brosby. I want to know, for reasons 
that I might explain later, whether there has 
grown up between you and Mr. Oglesby an attach- 
ment and if so, whether it has led to an under- 
standing between you. Mr. Oglesby is a man I 
know to be of the most honorable instincts. I do 
not desire in any way to impugn his motives. To 
be concise, I want to know whether he has asked 
you to marry him.” 

The directness of Sir William’s question embar- 
rassed Dora considerably, and caused her to blush 
deeply. She could hardly refrain from tears, but 
made, however, a great effort to keep them back, 
as she did not care to have Sir William misjudge 


64 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


her. She finally asked by way of reply: 

“Why do you ask me that, Sir William Street- 
field?” 

“My dear child,” rejoined Sir William kindly, “I 
am not asking you this from any idle curiosity. It 
has a direct bearing upon yourself.” 

Dora was still further perplexed by this enig- 
matical reference to herself. She was at a loss to 
express herself, but managed to say, “If you insist 
on knowing what has taken place between Mr. 
Oglesby and myself, owing to your position as 
master of this household and to that extent a 
guardian of mine, I am willing to tell you what 
happened yesterday morning. Sir William Street- 
field — Mr. Oglesby asked me to be his wife and I 
rufused him.” 

“Why did you refuse him? He is an excellent 
young man, very wealthy; he comes from an old 
county family, . and is the heir to its estates. A 
most desirable young man in every way.” 

“Because, Sir William, I do not care for him suf- 
ficiently well to consider any such relationship.” 

“Do you not think it unwise to throw away such 
an excellent offer, an offer that would mean so much 
to you all. Miss Brosby? Did you not consider 
what a great help it would be to your family?” 

“Please do not press me any further. Sir Wil- 
liam. I really cannot marry a man I do not care 
for, nor do I think that mama would wish me to 
make such a sacrifice of myself. You are not dis- 
pleased with me for refusing him under these cir- 
cumstances, are you. Sir William?” 

“No, no, my dear girl. I am not displeased at 
all; and to tell you the truth, on the contrary, I 
am glad to hear of your decision. I was inclined 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 65 


to believe when Mr. Oglesby paid you so much 
attention that you were favorably disposed to- 
wards him. More especially, as he is a man cf 
such excellent qualities. It would have been what 
society would call a brilliant match for you; but 
now that I know you have declined the offer of 
his hand, I am free to say what I am going to, 
Dora!'’ He had never called her that before, and 
it startled her a little; but she had by this time 
completely recovered her composure. '‘Dora, you 
will forgive me calling you by that name. Miss 
Brosby, perhaps I ought to say. Come nearer me, 
my child, and give me your hand." 

Dora approached him and timidly placed her 
hand in his. Perhaps she had some intuition or 
self-consciousness of what was coming, and she 
said with the utmost ingenuousness, “You may call 
me Dora if you prefer it, Sir William." 

“But I do not wish to do so unless you give me 
the right to. Miss Brosby. May I be plain with 
you, Dora? I find, dear, that I have come to re- 
gard you very dearly. That being the case, had 
you accepted -Mr. Oglesby, there would have been 
an end to any hopes that I might have entertained 
regarding you. Having rejected Mr. Oglesby, I 
must tell you, Dora, how fond I have become of 
you, but I want you to be perfectly free to act in 
this matter just as it appeals to you. Now 
that I have made this confession, Dora, and should 
you feel bound to disregard it for the same reasons 
which dictated your actions towards Mr. Oglesby, 
there is no other alternative than that as an hon- 
orable man, I shall leave ynu here to look after 
Reginald and go abroad, coming home only at long 
intervals to see my boy." 


66 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘T cannot say that I quite comprehend you. Sir 
William,'' Dora said inquiringly. 

'Tt is this, Dora, it is this. Under these altered 
circumstances it would be an injustice to you, for 
me to remain under the same roof as yourself. Do 
you not understand?" 

*T think I comprehend you now, sir, but why 
should you leave? Why should it not be me?" 

‘'No, no. I cannot have you leave. It would be 
an injustice to Reginald in the first instance, and 
it would be an injustice to you, because this was 
of my own initiative. Having spoken as I have 
done, it is I that must accept the onus and the 
responsibility," replied Sir William, decisively. 

“Indeed, Sir William, I cannot consent to any- 
thing like that. I will leave, of course, but all this 
is so strange and sudden to me, that I fear that 
I cannot really properly comprehend it," retorted 
Dora in evident distress. 

“Forgive me. Miss Brosby, for having caused 
you distress. I am in honor bound to protect your 
position in this house; and this is the only way 
left open, that I can see at present." Sir William 
appeared to be unconscious of the fact that Dora's 
hand had not been withdrawn, and that he was 
still holding it with a gentle though firm grasp. 
This had been altogether too much for Dora's 
equanimity and she gently withdrew her hand to 
procure her handkerchief to dry the tears which, 
in spite of herself, welled up into her eyes and 
moistened her cheeks. Having done this, she al- 
most unconsciously replaced her hand in Sir Wil- 
liam's and said, with the most charming naivete, 
“I will do whatever you think best. Sir William. I 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 67 


have been very happy here, and would regret very 
much your going away. 

“Is it possible that you care for me as much as 
all that. Would you really regret my absence. 
Dora?” earnestly rejoined Sir William, appreciat- 
ing for the first time the significance of Dora's re- 
placing her hand in his. “Now, dear, let me tell 
you, how much I do really care for you ; but, Dora, 
you do really care for me, do you not?” 

“I do now, Sir William, since you have asked me. 
I would not be standing here near you, with my 
hand in yours if I did not. I have always been 
greatly interested in you. Sir William, but I have 
never permitted any feeling of respect or esteem, 
that I may have had for you to proceed further 
than that. It is indeed a great surprise to me that 
you should care for me at all. I never dreamed it 
could have been possible. Had I allowed my feel- 
ings toward you to have blossomed and ripened 
into affection, I would have felt it my duty, to you 
and to myself, to have asked you to release me 
from my duties here. You believe me, do you not. Sir 
William, when I say that?” answered Dora with 
great earnestness. 

“I not only believe you, but I know it could not 
have been otherwise with you, Dora. Come nearer 
to me. Let me tell you about myself. I realized 
for the first time, only yesterday, my feelings to- 
ward you when I saw you and Mr. Oglesby in the 
orchard. Once I realized that, there was only one 
honorable course to pursue. Should you have not 
rejected Mr. Oglesby's offer of marriage, or in 
other words, had you accepted him, it would have 
been entirely different. Is this the reason why 


68 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


you refused Mr. Oglesby, Dora?'^ With this Sir 
Wililam affectionately placed his arm around 
Dora, and gently drawing her to himself, kissed her 
gently, almost reverentially. 

‘T refused him. Sir William, because I could not 
love him. I could not, and did not analyze my 
feelings towards you at that time, but I may have 
subconsciously held you as the type of man that 
my heart would go out to, but I instinctively felt 
that I could never love Mr. Oglesby. This may be 
owing, dear, to my unconsciously loving you with- 
out permitting myself even for one moment to 
entertain such a remote possibility,^' replied Dora 
in a sweet confiding voice. 

There we shall leave these happy lovers. Suffi- 
cient to say that it was arranged that Dora should 
go home to her mother that very day with Sir 
William. He was to ask Mrs. Brosby for the hand 
of her daughter. There was naturally a great com- 
motion and excitement in the Brosby home, espe- 
cially among the girls, when they learned that 
Dora was to be married to a baronet. Mrs. Bros- 
by was entirely overcome at the announcement and 
could only repeat, “I always said. Sir William 
Streetfield, that Dora was deserving of the best in 
the land, and I am sure she is really getting only 
what she deserves. She has always been such a 
noble girl, that the man is lucky, indeed, who gets 
her for a wife." 

It was decided that there being no cause for 
undue delay, it was left to Dora to set the day for 
the marriage, which she did, a month from that 
date. Reginald was to have a holiday during that 
time. Dora had stipulated that she should be per- 
mitted to go on with the care and instruction of 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 69 


her charge, to whom she had become most warmly 
attached. We are ready to admit that the selec- 
tion of Dora's trousseau was a matter of most 
poignant concern, and every possibility was thor- 
oughly threshed out before a suitable selection was 
finally made by Mrs. Brosby and the girls. 

So Dora was married to Sir William Streetfield 
quietly, without any undue demonstration, at her 
mother's church by the local rector, assisted by the 
Rev. Dr. Sharpe. The boys were, of course, recalled 
from the school, and how they did torment poor 
Dora, addressing her with My Lady this, 
and My Lady that, but Dora was well used 
to her brothers' teasing, and took it all good- 
naturedly, although she felt embarrassed at times, 
especially so, when Sir William happened to be 
present, but really so genuinely good natured was 
the chaff with which they tormented their sister 
that at times Sir William himself was highly 
amused, although sympathizing with the obvious 
and excusable embarrassment of Dora, but she too, 
would join in Sir William's merriment at the jibes 
of the youngsters. At times he would bribe them 
with a five pound note not to tease Dora. This 
he always found effective, and, to give the boys 
credit, they generally stood fairly by their con- 
tract. 

We will not descant op the loveliness of Dora, in 
her bridal robe, of pale pink satin of the most 
delicate hue, set off to great advantage with a 
magnificent tiara of diamonds that Sir William 
presented to her on her wedding day. He, with 
his usual kind and thoughtful consideration and 
delicacy of feeling, made a prenuptial settlement 
upon Dora, sufficient, he said, to enable her to 


70 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


place her brothers properly in the world, and to 
provide amply for the needs of her sisters and of 
her mother. Nor should we forget to mention the 
charm of Dora's three sisters, who were her 
bridesmaids. They looked like so many beautiful 
and chaste petals that surrounded and clustered 
about, as it were, a flower that was just beginning 
to unfold. Sir William looked noble with his 
thoughtful, kind face with all its melancholy dissi- 
pated and supplanted by an expression of rapture 
and joy. Little Reginald was there: Dora saw to 
that. The youngster was all happiness and ex- 
pectation. His father told him that he was going 
to have a mama. He could not now be long drawn 
away from Dora. And Dora's inquiring eyes would 
ever and anon meet Reginald's. A look of per- 
fect understanding would pass between them, and 
he would run to Dora and kiss her, and say to 
her, ‘‘You are my mama now. I am so glad, for 
I wanted a mama for such a long time, and I asked 
Santa Claus to send me a mama last Christmas, 
and he forgot. I am glad that he forgot because 
you are my mama now, I know you are. If Santa 
Claus sent me a mama last Christmas, I would 
have two mamas now. Papa says, that I cannot 
have two mamas." Thus did this dear youngster 
prattle, to the inflnite delight of all who heard 
him. Dora was now drawn to him by a nearer and 
a stronger tie. She silently and fervently prayed 
that she might long be spared to do the full meas- 
ure of her duty to this motherless boy, who had 
taken her into his heart. 

What a happy family this! And well may we 
too pray, that the sum of human happiness accord- 
ed them, would not diminish as the years rolled 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 71 


by, but rather that it would be added to, if that 
were iwssible. 

The wedding breakfast over. Sir William and 
Lady Streetfield rolled away in their carriage to 
the station. They were bound for London en route 
to the continent. They expected to stay away for 
two or three months, before returning to Street- 
field Manor. Little Reginald was left in the good 
care of Mrs. Brosby, and well satisfied was he to 
be with her, for that good lady had already won 
his confidence and affection. 

Several years had now passed since that mar- 
riage scene at Bath. Sir William and Lady Street- 
field had passed the intervening years in unalloyed 
bliss, although no issue had blessed their union. 
They had become reconciled to the disappointment. 
Ladji^ Streetfield herself had always been a mother 
to Reginald, who was indeed, in every way a son 
to her, and his affection for Dora was almost di- 
vine. To Reginald she was the only mother he 
had ever known, and to Lady Streetfield, he was 
the only child that she had ever been mother to. 
They were drawn to each other with a natural in- 
stinct. Dora undertook the entire supervision of 
Reginald and instructed him as in the days of 
yore, when she was a governess in the household. 

In regard to Mr. Oglesby, he found it hard to 
reconcile himself to his disappointment, and he 
secured an under-secretaryship in the diplomatic 
service, and had been away ever since, excepting 
for short visits at long intervals to his mother and 
sister. At these times he never missed calling upon 
Sir William and Lady Streetfield. He was glad, 
good fellow as he was, to witness the happiness of 
Dora. 


72 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Sir William Streetfield, who always entertained 
a high regard for Edward Oglesby, was glad to see 
him and he said to him once, “Your loss, Oglesby, 
was very great, and in proportion my gain, but I 
played the game with you, did I not? You had a 
fair field and no favors.” 

Mr. Oglesby had, by this time, quite got over 
his disappointment and was able to enter into the 
spirit of Sir William's good natured banter. 

Young Reginald, in addition to what was being 
taught him by his mother, was taking lessons 
three days a week from the Rev. Dr. Sharpe in 
Latin and Greek. Reginald was now getting old 
enough to have a tutor, preparatory to sending 
him to school. A young gentleman of the name 
of Thistlewaite was engaged to undertake the fur- 
ther instruction of the boy. For the next two 
years Reginald passed under his care. This young 
man was one who had a high regard for principle 
and duty and Reginald received the full meed of 
his perseverance and pains, so much so, that now 
he had arrived at the age of fourteen, Sir William 
and Lady Streetfield decided upon sending him to 
Harrow. 

The parting was a great trial to all of them and 
the boy fairly broke down when he was saying 
good-bye to his mother, (for by that appellation he 
always addressed Lady Streetfield) and she on her 
part had to use all her self-restraint and all her 
self-possession to prevent herself doing likewise. 
Oh how those first days dragged at Streetfield 
Manor. The void created in the daily routine of 
the household seemed at first impossible to fill, 
and many were the secret tears shed by Lady 
Streetfield as she thought of the gallant little fel- 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 73 


low who had for so many years filled so large a 
place in her life. 

Then came the holidays. The happy days of 
his first return home. Lady Streetfield had counted 
the months, then the weeks, then the days, then 
the hours as his advent home drew nearer and 
nearer, and then at last came Reginald, with the 
bloom of early adolescence breaking upon him. His 
wonderful progress at school under the stimulus 
of emulation was a delightful surprise to Sir Wil- 
liam and herself. As each succeeding holiday term 
came around, they could not but notice the comely 
development that was insensibly taking place in 
their boy, and Lady Streetfield rejoiced to see that 
the precepts that she had so sedulously and early 
instilled into the boy were now bearing good fruit, 
for he had grown up into a chaste, manly, honor- 
able and athletic young man. 

Reginald had passed through all his classes with 
credit to himself and to his masters, and the time 
was soon approaching when he was to enter upon 
a college life, and his father chose Oxfor for him.. 

As Reginald had several months now to wait 
before entering Oxford and joining his classes, his 
parents decided upon taking him on a tour of con- 
tinental Europe. These were some of the happiest 
days in the happy life of Lady Streetfield. She 
was almost inordinately proud of her handsome 
son, nor did Reginald fail to make use of every 
opportunity that afforded itself for instruction and 
observation. 

At Oxford Reginald stayed three years. Here 
it was that the foundation of his friendship with 
George Wilcox from Great Hope, Tennessee, was 
laid, and Reginald, with the consent of his parents. 


74 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


had invited the young American to Streetfield dur- 
ing a recess. 

This young American had many qualities that 
appealed strongly to those with whom he became 
acquainted. He was kind, considerate, obliging, 
good natured, and free from any affectation and 
with an exceedingly fine address. An unusual 
young man in every way, and one who made many 
friends among his fellow students at Oxford. Sir 
William and Lady Streetfield warmly welcomed 
George Wilcox, and he was made to feel thorough- 
ly at home at Streetfield Manor by his host and 
charming hostess. Mr. George Wilcox spent sev- 
eral of his vacations at Streetfield Manor. He 
came to regard Streetfield Manor as his second 
home, and thus did this friendship between these 
two young men become more and more cemented. 

In regard to Mrs. Brosby, she and her three un- 
married daughters, had gone out to India to her 
son who had passed into the Indian Civil Service. 
Two of her daughters had married young British 
Officers shortly after going out, and the third re- 
mained with her at the home of her son. 

Thomas Brosby, the second eldest brother ol 
Lady Streetfield, had passed through the royal 
military school at Sandhurst and had secured a 
commission in the army, his regiment was now 
stationed in England. He paid many visits to his 
sister, Lady Streetfield. Lieut. Brosby was an en- 
thusiast in his profession and he had watched the 
development of Reginald with great pride and in- 
terest. Reginald, as a boy, had an unbounded ad- 
miration for his foster uncle, Tom Brosby. But 
since his Uncle Tom had donned her majesty's uni- 
form, it is not surprising that the young lieuten- 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 75 


ant had instilled some of his enthusiasm for a 
soldier’s life into the ardent spirit of young Street- 
field, and that Reginald had decided to adopt the 
army as his career in life. Lady Streetfield’s 
brothers and sisters often visited her when they 
were in England and were always made exceed- 
ingly welcome by Sir William and their sister. Of 
the brothers the oldest had passed the examina- 
tion for the Indian Civil Service, and had been ap- 
pointed to an assistant collectorship in Bengal. The 
second son, Thomas, or 'Tom” as he was generally 
called, as we have just stated had joined the army, 
and was now a lieutenant in her majesty’s 110th 
foot regiment. The third had followed his father’s 
footsteps and had entered the mission field in 
Travancore, Southern India. Mrs. Brosby had 
elected to accompany her son in the civil service 
to India at his urgent solicitation. 

Reginald’s parents acquiesced in his desire to 
enter the Royal military school at Sandhurst, but 
before doing so, Reginald found that he had sev- 
eral months at his disposal, and, as Mr. George 
Wilcox was about to return home to Great Hope, 
Tennessee, he prevailed upon young Streetfield to 
accompany him. 

Hitherto Reginald’s life had run the usual tenor 
of such ways. He had, of course, to pass through all 
the perturbations and vexations experienced by all 
young men passing through their school and col- 
lege days, but the equipoise he acquired in early 
life, through the sedulous care of his parents and 
tutors, stood him. in good stead in those days and 
he had safely weathered all the trials and tempta- 
tions that beset the youth of his own age. He was 
now a young man with complete command over 


76 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


himself. By no means a self-conscious prig, but 
simply a manly, highly educated, well bred English 
boy with the usual English contempt for anything 
underhanded, hypocritical or not absolutely above 
board. He believed, like most young men of his 
own rank, and of his own station in life, in play- 
ing the game of life fairly and squarely; he was 
open-minded, generous, and unsuspecting. He was 
passionately attached to his mother, who for that 
matter might just as well have been his own 
mother, in so far as their reciprocal affections 
went. This, and his profound reverence and re- 
spect for his father, was the key-stone of 
young Reginald’s life. Naturally of a daring, 
chivalrous disposition, he was saved many of the 
temptations that beset and wreck the careers of 
less fortunate youths. As for Lieutenant Tom 
Brosby, who was about nine years Reginald’s 
senior, he was exceedingly delighted to learn of 
Reginald’s choice of the army. Lieut. Tom was 
hearty, bluff and good-natured, although on the 
parade-ground, or when on duty, he was regarded 
as a strict disciplinarian. His hearty laughter was 
particularly infectious. He was proud of his regi- 
ment, and Lieutenant Brosby appeared at his best, 
as his handsome face and figure was seen march- 
ing by the side of his company. Lieutenant Brosby 
had met George Wilcox, the young American, sev- 
eral times at his sister’s, and they had become 
cordially acquainted. 

*'Sir William,” Lieutenant Brosby remarked on 
more than one occasion to him, ‘T told you years 
ago that I was going to make a soldier of your 
son. Did I not, sir? Here’s to her majesty’s 
service, and here’s to the success of Lieutenant 


A STATELY HOME IN ENGLAND 77 


Reginald Streetfield.” ‘‘Come Brosby,” George 
Wilcox rejoined, being present and having heard 
the remark of Lieutenant Brosby. “It does not 
require a prophet or the son of a prophet to fore- 
tell that. There is the Church, ar^i there is the 
Bar, the Navy, the Army, and we all knew in 
what direction the inclination of Reginald veered, 
but you must not forget that I am going to take 
Reginald home with me, and perhaps he might 
marry an American girl and may elect to become 
an American citizen, and take to planting tobacco 
in Tennessee.’' 

“None of that, none of that, Wilcox,” retorted 
Brosby. “Young Reginald now belongs to her most 
gracious Majesty’s service. God bless her.” 

“I shall not be gone for long, mother,” Reginald 
said to Lady Streetfield. “I expect to be back 
within four months, and then I shall have to work 
hard for my army entrance examinations. I am 
sure I am going to have a very interesting visit. 
I only regret that father and yourself are not to 
accompany me.” “You know that your father can- 
not travel now, Reginald. He has been far from 
well lately, and I would not leave him. Mr. Wilcox 
has been insistent upon our accompanying you 
and being included in the invitation. But go, my 
son. We shall, of course, miss you. We will con- 
sole ourselves in the knowledge that you are hav- 
ing an enjoyable and a most instructive visit.” 

At one time Lieutenant Brosby twitted Reginald 
about meeting some fascinating American girl 
(“they abound in the States,” he said) and bring- 
ing home a yankee bride. 

“There is considerable danger of that, I assure 
you, Lady Streetfield,” said George, “but I will see 


78 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


to it that he has a wide choice of partners, and 
you may rely upon my infallibility/' 

'‘No, no Wilcox," Reginald responded humor- 
ously. 'T am going to be wedded to my profes- 
sion; and besides, my mother is the only woman I 
am in love with, and I am going to remain faith- 
ful to her. Am I not, mother?" 

"My dear boy, I am sure you will," replied Lady 
Streetfield, her eyes filling with tears at this ex- 
pression of affection from her son. Seeing this 
Reginald affectionately kissed her. 

This was the one woman who had indeed been 
more than a mother to him, the one that had 
taken such infinite trouble and pains with him all 
through his tender years, and now that he had ar- 
rived at man's estate, he was profoundly grateful, 
and strongly attached to her. 

"Yes, Reginald dear, you are truly a son to me, 
the only son I have ever known. Your happiness 
will always be my own. Kiss me again, you dear 
good boy." 

Thus did Reginald leave England for a short stay 
in America. His arrival there and the incidents of 
his sojourn have already been related. 


CHAPTER IV. 

A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 

An old and respected Huguenot family were the 
Dieulafois. Madame Dieulafoi was a really re- 
markable woman. She was all the more remark- 
able because she was married to a remarkable 
man. Many another woman, had she been mar- 
ried to Monsieur Dieulafoi, would have long ago 
given up the struggle and died, or would have 
sunk into a state of docile indifference. But not 
so with Madame Dieulafoi. She avoided all con- 
troversies with her husband, and with that subtle 
tact so characteristic of French women, she would 
often bring her husband back into a right frame 
of mind. She readily concurred in his opinions, 
and did not attempt to oppose him in any of his 
vagaries, of which, indeed, there were m.any. It 
so happened that Madame Dieulafoi and her hus- 
band were of one mind, and whatever appealed to 
him, no matter how fanciful and fantastic, inter- 
ested her likewise. 

No human pair could have been more alike in 
tastes, ideas, mental disposition, and habits than 
were these two. 

Monsieur Dieulafoi was a man apart. He was a 
man of himself, and by himself. 

Monsieur Dieulafoi prided himself upon his 
close resemblance to the celebrated Marshall Ney. 
His counterpart existed, notwithstanding that 
claim, only in his life partner, Madame Dieulafoi. 
She almost anticipated his thoughts, and certainly 
his actions. These two had scarcely ever been 
separated in life. Monsieur was five years her 
senior. The coalescing and the cementing of these 


80 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


two lives began at school. Little Marie Mortier, a 
grand-daughter of General Mortier, one of the 
great Napoleon's famous generals, had first at- 
tracted the notice of the school boy, Edmund Dieu- 
lafoi, by shouting out in her shrill, childish voice, 
Vive Vempereur! Here, indeed, were the magi- 
cal words that brought these two souls together. 

The strong ties of mutual traditions and affilia- 
tions cemented their youthful friendship, which in 
after years ripened into marriage. 

In all their early manhood and womanhood, and 
all through their checkered married life, this sen- 
timent, that they so religiously regarded, had 
acted like a powerful magnet in drawing their 
lives still closer together. 

Monsieur Edmund Dieulafoi was the grandson 
of General Francis Dieulafoi, a general in the 
Grand Army of Napoleon the Great. General 
Francis Dieulafoi lost his life in the disastrous re- 
treat from Moscow. His son again, who was a 
Lieutenant of the guard, was taken prisoner by 
the Russians in the same campaign, but was after- 
wards permitted to return to PYance at the 
restoration of the Bourbons, in 1814. 

Lieutenant Dieulafoi recoiled against accepting 
service under the Bourbons, whom he looked up- 
on as usurpers of the Imperial Throne of France. 
On Napoleon's escape from Elba, and return to 
France, Lieutenant Dieulafoi took service in his 
hastily mobilized legions. He was appointed Col- 
onel of one of the Imperial Guard regiments, and 
fought with that regiment at the Battle of Water- 
loo. Napoleon's banishment to the Island of St. 
Helena brought to a close, for the time being, the 
dream of the Bonapartists. 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


81 


Colonel Dieulafoi retired from active service 
after the Restoration of the Bourbons, and lived 
in a quiet, unostentatious way at the little town of 
Antinil, not far from Paris, to dream over what 
might have been had Napoleon won the Battle of 
Waterloo. 

Colonel Dieulafoi married a widow of one of 
Napoleon's officers, who perished at that decisive 
battle. This doughty Colonel had but one child 
by this marriage — a son, our Monsieur Edmund 
Dieulafoi. 

Edmund was reared in all the ardent traditions 
of the family that lived only in the tragic story 
of that brilliant, although ephemeral dynasty. 
Young Edmund inherited all the enthusiasm and 
the almost idolatrous loyalty so apparent in his 
progenitors. The Napoleonic legend burned in his 
bosom with a fierce energy. The Bonapartists' 
cause had become an obsession with young Ed- 
mund Dieulafoi, so that when the Third Napoleon 
seized the reins of government, and proclaimed 
himself Emperor, upon a plebiscite, young Dieula- 
foi took service under him, and fought in the 
French armies at the battle of Solferino. At the 
outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, he was a 
captain in a cavalry regiment, and fought all 
through that terrible and disastrous conflict. Al- 
though passing through many dangers, and hav- 
ing had many narrow escapes, he emerged from 
that conflict unscathed. 

After the establishment of the Republic, Ed- 
mund, like his father before him, retired to his 
country estates and lived in seclusion. Edmund 
Dieulafoi had married in the year 1858 Marie 
Mortier, his little school-mate, who was wont to 


82 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


shout so lustily in their school days for the first 
emperor. 

To this union were bom in the year 1860 twins, 
both girls, Veronica and Josephine. The girls 
were so much alike when babies that it was diffi- 
cult even for the parents to distinguish between 
them. As they grew up they continued to re- 
semble each other more markedly, if that were at 
all possible. 

Shortly after the establishment of the French 
Republic, the Emperor Napoleon III sought refuge 
in England, residing at Farmborough, not far 
from London, until his death in 1873. About 
the time when Veronica and Josephine were 
in their twelfth year. Captain Edmund Dieula- 
foi was threatened with arrest on a fictitious 
charge of conspiracy against the government. De- 
spising the republic as he did, he did not purpose 
giving the government an opportunity of proscrib- 
ing him, and sequestrating his estates. Getting as 
much money together as he could, by selling as 
much of the lands of his inherited estates as pos- 
sible, Edmund Dieulafoi left for England with a 
fair competency. With his wife and daughters, he 
took up his residence in London, to be near his be- 
loved emperor, as he said. The French govern- 
ment, finding that he had voluntarily exiled him- 
self, sequestrated such portions of his estates 
as had not been sold, which 'were indeed a con- 
siderable part of them. Captain Dieulafoi had 
saved enough, however, from the wreck of his for- 
tunes to maintain himself and his family in a mod- 
erately comfortable manner in England. 

Into their children, Veronica and Josephine, the 
parents instilled and fostered all the glorious tra- 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


83 


ditions of the Bonapartists. They were taught to 
execrate the very name of the Republic, nor would 
Monsieur and Madame Dieulafoi associate in the 
least way with any of their countrymen and women 
in London who favored the present regime in 
France, or who were in any way tinctured with 
republicanism. 

The greatest joy in the lives of the exiled pair 
was to take an occasional excursion to Farmbor- 
ough, accompanied by their two beautiful children, 
and there to watch for a sight of their beloved em- 
peror and empress. At intervals, the exiled em- 
peror, Najoleon III, would summon his devoted ad- 
herent to present himself at Farmborough, with 
Madame Dieulafoi, and their two girls. The exiled 
emperor was cognizant of the great sacrifices that 
Monsieur Dieulafoi had made on behalf of his 
dynasty, and of the persecutions he had endured in 
France for his loyalty to himself. Captain Dieula- 
foi had chosen to be known, after his advent in 
England, as simply Monsieur Dieulafoi. 

The Empress Eugenie greatly admired the beau- 
tiful Dieulafoi children. On one occasion she had 
placed a chain and locket containing her miniature 
around the neck of each of the little girls. This 
appealed to the delighted parents as the crowning 
joy of their lives. Monsieur Dieulafoi was even 
more bitter after that incident, if that were pos- 
sible, against the usurpers in France, as he called 
the Republican government there. 

Monsieur Dieulafoi's hatred of the republican re- 
gime became more and more an obsession with him. 
He would break out into an ungovernable rage 
when the mere name of the Republic was mentioned. 


84 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


His obsession became known to his associates, and 
woe betide anybody who would mention the name 
Repuhlique Francaise in his hearing. 

Veronica and Josephine, in the meantime, grew 
to be two beautiful young women, thereby redeem- 
ing the promise of their childhood. They were so 
extraordinarily alike, that it was really difficult for 
a stranger to say who was Veronica and who was 
Josephine. Both were brunettes, and both were of 
the same height. Both were of the same figure, 
Veronica being, if anything, a little fuller in the 
chest, and a little heavier, but not to any appreci- 
able degree. They had the most exquisitely shaped 
heads, with an abundance of dark brown, lustrous 
hair. Both had large, brown eyes, with long, dark 
eyelashes. Both had beautifully shaped noses and 
chins, and the most inviting of rosebud lips, which 
disclosed on smiling in each instance, rows of the 
most exquisitely white and perfectly formed teeth. 
The girls dressed alike in every particular and de- 
tail, and one was seldom seen without the other. 

Their parents nurtured these two girls with all 
that care that gentle French parents take with 
their daughters. They spent every sovereign they 
could possibly scrape together on their education. 
Veronica, the first-bom, was passionately fond of 
music. In the course of time she was enabled to 
appreciatively augment the family income by hav- 
ing pupils of her own. The girls were at this time 
about eighteen years old. It must not at all be 
imagii^ed ithat theiir bi^inging up made of them! 
prudish girls. On the contrary, they were girls 
with all that romanticism of youth which ardent 
natures often unconsciously display, and which 


A BONAPARTIST EXILE 


85 


bubbled forth in evidence in every chaste and 
graceful movement of their magnificently human 
bodies. Josephine invariably accompanied her sis- 
ter Veronica when she instructed pupils at their 
homes. There was one pupil of Veronica’s, the 
daughter of a distinguished French savant, who 
had chosen London instead of Paris wherein to pur- 
sue his studies and researches. He was an ardent 
Bonapartist, too, but perhaps not so obsessed as 
Monsieur Dieulafoi. This young lady, whom Ver- 
onica instructed in music twice a week in her own 
home, was one of the most promising as well as 
one of the best paying of her pupils. On one of 
these occasions Veronica and her sister, Josephine, 
were introduced by this girl’s father to a Monsieur 
Alphonso Laudet, a young gentleman attached to 
the French diplomatic legation in London. 

Monsieur Alphonso Laudet was a young man 
with an unusually attractive appearance, and with 
all the insinuating manners of a modem French 
Beau Brummel. His bright and engaging manners 
and his seemingly ingenuous disposition, to- 
gether with his other qualifications and personal 
gifts, make it easy to suppose that he would readily 
impress the heart of so romantic and so ardent a 
young lady as Veronica. Monsieur Laudet’s na- 
tural gallantry and affability of manner, his facility 
of expression, and the infectious buoyancy of his 
laugh, all these did not fail to have their proper 
weight with our two young ladies, more especially 
with Josephine, who was in fact, far more impres- 
sionable and less worldly wise than Veronica. On 
the way home, Josephine felt free to confess to 
Veronica that should she be thrown much into the 


86 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


company of Monsieur Laudet, there would be great 
danger of her falling a victim to his natural and 
charming manner and accomplishments. 

In truth it was difficult for Veronica to chide her 
sister, for she herself had greatly admired the gal- 
lant and gifted Frenchman. But, be that as it may, 
it was Josephine’s secret. 

Veronica secretly rejoiced that at last there had 
come into the somberness of their lives something 
that promised a real romance. 

On the other hand, the striking beauty, the na- 
tural charm and grace of Josephine, were by no 
means without effect upon the dashing young diplo- 
mat. After several informal meetings with Jose- 
phine, it was quite apparent that Monsieur Al- 
phonse was in love with her and that Josephine was 
in love with him. He had taken the opportunity, 
when alone with Josephine, to express to her the 
depth of his feelings. The radiant lovers sought 
the aid of Veronica, as to the ways and means to 
be adopted to introduce the young gentleman to her 
parents. Veronica suggested that Monsieur Laudet 
should make a formal call upon them when their 
parents were usually to be found at home. 

It was arranged that Monsieur Laudet was to 
call tlie following Wednesday afternoon. Monsieur 
Dieulafoi and his good wife were introduced to 
Laudet by Veronica, and they greeted him with all 
the courtesy and bonhomie so natural to the French 
people. They were indeed greatly charmed by the 
bearing, the appearance, and the affability of man- 
ner of Monsieur Laudet, and with their usual native 
hospitality invited the young gentleman to stay to 
dinner. 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


87 


Veronica and Josephine had both taken the pre- 
caution to warn Monsieur Laudet that he was not, 
by any means, to intimate that he was connected 
with the diplomatic service of the French Republi- 
can Government, and he was further cautioned to 
avoid calling in question any of the animadversions 
that Monsieur Dieulafoi was bound to cast upon the 
present French government and Republicans in 
general. Thus cautioned, Monsieur Laudet steered 
a safe course, and apparently acquiesced in most of 
the extravagant and distorted, and in many cases 
unjust accusations of Monsieur Dieulafoi against 
the Republic and his equally extravagant parler a 
tort et a travers of the Bonapartists. 

The evening passed away very pleasantly, not- 
withstanding the apprehensions of the young ladies 
as to the possibility of a faux pas on the part of 
Monsieur Laudet. In the event of that taking 
place, there would have been inevitably an ex- 
plosion on the part of Monsieur Dieulafoi. 

The girls sang and played, while Laudet, who had 
an excellent voice, accompanied them in many well- 
known French songs, much to the delight of Mon- 
sieur and Madame Dieulafoi. Laudet, however, 
found an opportunity once or twice to plant a sur- 
reptitious kiss upon the lips of Josephine. 

He at length departed, not without a solemn as- 
severation to Monsieur Dieulafoi that he would dine 
again with him at an early date. It can well be 
supposed that Josephine and Laudet took the op- 
portunity to meet at various times and places, and 
that he soon become a frequent visitor at the home 
of the Dieulafois. 


88 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


The attention of the parents was at length drawn 
towards Laudet and Josephine. 

‘‘Do you not think, Marie,” said Monsieur Dieu- 
lafoi one day to his wife, “that Monsieur Laudet is 
paying our Josephine altogether too much at- 
tention ?” 

“Well, suppose he is, my Edmund. Surely our 
daughter is worthy of some good man’s attention. 
I have truly observed it myself, and have secretly 
rejoiced. We must question our daugfhter. An 
honorable marriage it would make for her,” replied 
Madame Dieulafoi. 

“Do but call her and question her, Marie. I am 
going to the city this morning and you can inter- 
rogate her in my absence. Tell me how conditions 
are when I return.” With these instructions, -Mon- 
sieur Dieulafoi went out. 

“Josephine! Josephine! Come here!” called 
Madame Dieulafoi after her husband’s departure. 

‘I am here, mother. What do you want with 
me?” continued Josephine, self-consciously, as she 
appeared. 

“Your father wants me to question you in re- 
gard to this young man Laudet,” replied her 
mother. 

“Monsieur Laudet?” exclaimed Josephine, assum- 
ing surprise. “What about Monsieur Laudet, 
mother?” 

“Josephine, your father and I have noticed that 
this young man has become very attentive to you. 
You must be very careful in your behavior towards 
him and not give him any occasion to think you 
are a coquette.” 

“Really, mother, I believe father and yourself 
are altogether too anxious about Veronica and my- 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


89 


self. What made you suppose he is attentive to 
me?^’ continued Josephine demurely. 

‘'My dear child, we cannot belie our eyes. If 
the young man purposes to act honorably he will 
have to declare himself; your father is insistent 
on that.” 

“Mother, darling, I know that it was wrong to 
keep any secret from you and father. Monsieur 
Laudet has asked me to marry him and I have 
consented to do so. Mother, I was so afraid that 
father would not like it; so I kept the secret from 
both of you. Veronica was to tell you of it today, 
but I am glad that I have had to tell you myself. 
Oh, mother darling, I am so happy! I am greatly 
in love with Alphonso, and he simply adores me.” 
Josephine implored in a most charmingly demure 
and appealing voice. 

“Come here, my child. Come and nestle your 
head upon your mother's bosom. My poor, darling, 
Josephine. God grant that my child has not made 
a mistake. Do you realize, my child, that it is a 
very serious matter to promise to marry a young 
man, especially when you do not know whether or 
not he has the means to support a wife and to take 
care of her? Tell your mother, dear, how all this 
came about.” 

“I met him, mother, several times at the home 
of Monsieur Favard, when I accompanied Veroni- 
ca,” replied Josephine. 

“Have you met him elsewhere than at the 
home of Monsieur Favard and your father's 
house ?” 

“Yes, mother dear, do not be angry with me. I 
want to tell you all about it. I have met Alphonso 
frequently in Hyde Park.” 


90 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


“You poor child. You have been very indiscreet. 
Your father must not hear about this. You must 
insist upon Monsieur asking your hand from your 
father before you speak of your engagement to 
him.” 

“Oh, you dear, kind, sweet mother. I do so love 
you! Kiss me, mother. I am so afraid!” said Jose- 
phine, as her mother warmly embraced her and 
gently caressed her and showered kisses upon her 
cheeks, neck and shoulders. 

“You will always be your mother's girl, what- 
ever happens, Josephine.” 

“You good, kind, darling mother,” rejoined Jose- 
phine, impulsively, and with deep feeling, and 
taking her mother into her arms Josephine hugged 
her to herself. 

“Later in the day Monsieur Dieulafoi asked his 
wife what Josephine had said when questioned as 
to Monsieur Laudet. 

“Josephine remarked about his attentions,” said 
his wife evasively. “Maybe he will ask her hand 
in marriage. Will you consent if Josephine cares 
for the young man?” 

“Most certainly I will consent,” replied Monsieur 
Dieulafoi emphatically. “That is, if the young man 
is desirable,” he said in qualification of his remark. 
“Our daughters will be best off when suitably mar- 
ried. Besides, Marie, I want to see some of my 
grandchildren on my knee before I die.” 

Madame Dieulafoi lost no time in letting Jose- 
phine know the feelings of her father in the mat- 
ter and how he apparently welcomed the informa- 
tion and that there now appeared no obstacles to 
their betrothal and marriage. 

Thus it was arranged that Josephine was to 


A BONAPARTIST EXILE 


91 


have Monsieur Laudet ask her hand from her 
father the next time he called at the house. 

“Alphonso, you must be most careful with 
father. I would not have to tell you this had you 
witnessed one of his explosions. Once his animosi- 
ty is aroused it is impossible to appease his anger/^ 
warned Josephine. 

“Why, of course, my adored one. I will be 
guarded in what I say and do. As they say in 
France, Ce n'est que le premier pas qui coute, “It is 
only the first slip that costs,^’ responded Laudet. 

So it came about that the Monsieur Laudet paid 
his promised visit to Monsieur Dieulafoi and was 
closeted for a long time with that gentleman in his 
study. So long did he stay, that Madame Dieula- 
foi, Veronica, and Josephine, who were anxiously 
awaiting the result of the interview, were begin- 
ning to get apprehensive. They well knew and had 
experienced the angry explosions of that irate gen- 
tleman. Nor were their fears without foundation. 
They soon began to hear the angry exclamations 
of Monsieur Dieulafoi and the rising voice of Mon- 
sieur Laudet in angry retort. The door opened 
and out of it emerged Monsieur Laudet, appearing 
much disturbed and perplexed. They heard Mon- 
sieur Dieulafoi say in a loud, emphatic voice, “I 
will never allow a daughter of mine to marry a 
miserable caitiif of a republican. Rather would I 
see her in her coffin. Begone, sir, and never again 
present yourself at my house, or ever attempt to 
claim acquaintance with my daughter.” 

Alas, poor Josephine! She knew full well that 
the waters had burst the dam, and she hastened to 
meet Monsieur Laudet, who appeared very much 
disconcerted and ruffled. Josephine, taking his 


92 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


hand, gently drew him into the drawing room and 
said to him. 'Toor Alphonso. It has proved to be 
what I most feared, but you go away now quietly, 
dear. I will meet you at our rendezvous at the 
usual time. We must wait until father quiets 
down. Mother, Veronica, and I will do our best to 
bring him back to a normal state of mind. Kiss 
me, Alphonso, and do not look so distressed. Do 
not be downhearted, dear. You know what the 
proverb says, ‘faint heart never won fair lady.’ 
Now kiss me, and go before father breaks out 
again,” pleaded Josephine. 

The irate father had heard their voices in con- 
versation, and called out in a loud, angry tone. 
“Get away, Josephine! Get away from him. He is 
one of those miserable republicans. The impudence 
of a cur of a republican asking me, Edmund Dieu- 
lafoi, whose grandfather and father fought under 
the great Napoleon, asking me for my daughter’s 
hand.” 

“Please go, Alphonso dear. Leave the matter 
with mother, Veronica, and myself. Good-bye, 
dear. I will see you later. You know when and 
where,” pleaded Josephine again. 

Monsieur Laudet retreated with as much dignity 
as he could under these humiliating circumstances. 

The distressed state of mind in which the ladies 
of the family were left can well be imagined. Jose- 
phine was broken hearted with chagrin and hu- 
miliation at the treatment accorded the man she 
had consented to marry. 

Her mother and sister tried vainly to comfort 
and soothe her, and as regards Madame Dieulafoi, 
the love of her daughter and her hatred of a French 
Republican, which she shared equally with her hus- 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


93 


band, conflicted and aroused in her bosom dissonant 
emotions. 

When Monsieur Dieulafoi joined the group, Jo- 
sephine turned on him, and addressing him fiercely 
and fearlessly, said, “It is not just nor right, sir, 
to inflict upon your daughter humiliation and pun- 
ishment for any political views you may happen to 
hold. We, all of us, mother, Veronica, and I, re- 
vere the Bonapartists equally with you. But their 
day is over. It is not right nor just to punish and 
inflict misery and humiliation upon us for some-^ 
thing with which neither Monsieur Laudet or my- 
self had any concern. We regret your anger, sir, 
and would have treasured your consent and bless- 
ing upon our marriage. Nevertheless, we are de- 
termined to marry.” 

“You are, are you? You ungrateful child. You 
can never remain a daughter of mine if you do. 
You can take your choice between your father and 
that whelp of a republican. I forbid you to have 
anything more to do with him, the republican 
scoundrel. You will brave my wrath, will you, you 
undutiful girl! Remember the wrath of an out- 
raged father is a terrible thing,” thus replied her 
father to her spirited remonstrance. 

“Oh, father, be just. Be reasonable. Do not let 
your blind passion destroy the happiness of your 
Josephine, I pray and implore you, my father.” 
With these entreaties, Josephine burst into a fit 
of uncontrollable weeping. 

“It is useless, Josephine,” interposed her mother. 
“Your father is set against either of his daughters 
marrying a republican, and I am, too. Your father 
is right. No good can ever come of it. The Dieu- 
lafois are Bonapartists forever. 'Vive Vempereur^!” 


94 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘‘Hurrah! Well said, my noble wife. You are a 
true Bonapartist. Our emperor would, were he 
alive, be proud of you today. Do go and comfort 
our child, and try and instill into her your spirit. 
Had she the true Bonapartist spirit, she would 
pluck the memory of this man from her breast and 
throw it forever into the sea. If she marry this 
republican she is no longer our child.” 

Veronica in the meanwhile had been doing her 
best to comfort her sister, and was able to check 
any further angry and defiant retorts from Jose- 
phine. 

She grieved sincerely with her sister, and re- 
garded her father’s conduct as harsh, and illogical 
to the point of irrationality. But in the present 
temper of her father, she knew that it would be 
useless to attempt any sort of reconsideration or 
to try in any way to alter his decision, so she de- 
cided to abide her time until his anger and resent- 
ment cooled down, and he was in a more rational 
frame of mind. 

Josephine retired to her room, accompanied by 
her mother, who endeavored to persuade her to 
acquiesce in her father’s decision, but all to no 
purpose, for Josephine remained obdurate, not- 
withstanding all her mother’s entreaties and pos- 
tulates. 

Though greatly attached to her mother, and 
revering and respecting her father, Josephine was 
sorely wounded by the gross injustice of the posi- 
tion that her father had taken. She herself was 
an ardent Bonapartist, but the Bonapartist cause 
was dead when the present regime of France was 
taken into consideration. True, there was the 
Prince Imperial ; but he had, in her opinion, not an 


A BONAPARTIST EXILE 


95 


earthly chance of re-establishing the Imperial 
House of Bonaparte, then why, she questioned her- 
self, should her happiness be destroyed and 
wrecked by a blind adherence to a bygone glory? 
Her parents, she contended^ were carrying their 
loyalty to an absurd degree. She was very, very 
angry with her parents, and very, very sorry for 
herself, and she resolved in her own mind to marry 
Laudet, even should she have to do so against the 
wishes of her parents. 

The next day Veronica entreated her father to 
alter his decision. She used every plea within the 
range of her reason, but all to no purpose. The 
gnarled tree could not be made to bend, so Veroni- 
ca had to give it up, and sadly confessed to Jose- 
phine the failure of her pleadings. 

The next day Josephine left her parents’ home; 
and Monsieur Laudet, having made all the neces- 
sary arrangements, they left for Paris the same 
day and were duly married there. 

Josephine had left behind her a spirited letter, 
upbraiding her parents, especially her father, for 
forcing her to marry elsewhere than under his 
roof, and she further expressed her belief that 
her conduct was the only logical outcome of their 
persistence in a matter that had no relevancy at 
all to the matter of her marrying Laudet. The 
Bonapartists’ cause was dead, and would remain 
dead, and why, she asked, should it have been 
resurrected to mar her future happiness, and to 
destroy her peace of mind? 

The anger of Monsieur Dieulafoi, on reading this 
defiant epistle from Josephine, together with her 
having left his roof in the manner she had, to 
marry Laudet, knew no bounds. He acted like a 


96 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


man bereft of his senses. He summoned his wife 
and Veronica to his study, and fairly forced them 
into taking an oath that they would never even 
mention the name of Josephine to him or to any- 
one, nor were they to mention the fact of Veronica 
having a sister. In short, the infuriated Bonaparrs 
ist endeavored to completely cut off forever Jose- 
phine from himself and his family. 

Madame Dieulafoi and Veronica felt constrained 
to do the bidding of the old warrior, for they 
greatly feared his wrath and were apprehensive of 
his sanity. Thus was Josephine completely severed 
from her family. 

At the time of LaudeUs marrying Josephine, he 
was about thirty years of age» a finished product 
of the world. It would be as well here as anywhere 
to give our readers a short biographical sketch of 
this interesting, although ignoble gentleman. His 
many qualifications and his gifts have already been 
recounted. Outside of his personal gifts and 
accomplishments he had many talents. HisknowL 
edge of music was phenomenal. The range of his 
voice was extensive. His proficiency in modern lan- 
guages made him invaluable to the diplomatic 
corps of his government. He could practice the 
utmost dissimulation and he could assume an air 
of ingenuousness that deceived everybody. He was 
free with his money as well as with his talents. 
He dressed in the most fastidious and extreme 
fashions of the day. He was punctilious in many 
things, and assumed a frankness of manner which 
disarmed those with whom he came in contact. All 
the deviltry in his nature he most sedulously cov- 
ered up and concealed. None would have ever sus- 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


97 


pected in him the heart of a villain under this 
cloak of consummate dissimulation, which ‘he had 
so woven around himself to hide his true nature. 
At times he would abandon himself to excessive 
dissipation, wine, song, and particularly gambling. 
The remarkable physical constitution that nature 
had so generously bestowed upon him served to 
obscure those signs of dissipation which in a less 
vigorous nature would have been only too appar- 
ent. Even after a prolonged debauch, he never 
showed the slightest sign or trace of it in his coun- 
tenance, or even in his behavior. His imperturbil- 
ity and his natural bonhomie captivated and dis- 
armed his companions. He was designing, cool, 
crafty, and calculating. No small wonder that 
Josephine was thoroughly enamoured and utterly 
deceived by the man. Poor Josephine. She went 
to the flame like a moth to the candle. There was 
one art that Monsieur Laudet possessed to a su- 
perlative degree, and that was to captivate all with 
whom he came in contact. To such a degree did 
he possess this uncanny and sinister influence that 
it partook of the character and form of hypnotism. 
Over Josephine he appeared to exercise this influ- 
ence, and she was perfectly passive and plastic in 
his hands. It was not long after they were mar- 
ried that she became vaguely conscious of the 
overweening influence her husband exercised over 
her. She at times experienced a feeling of awe 
towards him. At first her great attachment to 
him obscured this feeling, but as time wore on, 
she had to confess to herself that she at times 
dreaded his presence. But she could not explain in 
any way this strange feeling which at intervals 
took possession of her. 


98 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


On the other hand, Monsieur Laudet seemed to 
take delight in bringing his wife under his malign 
influence. It was not long after his marriage that 
he began to resume his riotous habits, which even 
his power of dissimulation could not altogether con- 
ceal from his wife ; but she apparently was not able 
to remonstrate with him, /so completely did he 
exercise his power over her. Monsieur Laudet, be- 
ing a clever and shrewd gambler, and a trickster at 
that, was always able to meet his very heavy 
expenses. There were times when he lost heavily. 
It was on these occasions that Laudet, in an un- 
guarded moment, would reveal his true self. But 
these times were few and far between, and he would 
severely take himself to task for his exhibition of 
weakness, as he called it. His purpose was to keep 
himself well in check, as part of his armamenta- 
rium, in order to deceive both friend and foe. He 
did not purpose being off-guard even with his wife. 
He invariably showed the greatest affection for 
her for he was genuinely in love with her, as a 
nature so debauched as his could love. He treated 
her with the utmost consideration, and was very 
proud of her beauty and accomplishments. On one 
occasion when she was induced to speak to him, 
when absent longer than usual on one of his 
gaming exploits, he said to her in the most insinu- 
ating manner, ‘‘My Josephine must not be too in- 
quisitive and too exacting with her Alphonso, for 
she must remember that her husband must have 
money to live, and to give his adorable Josephine 
what she needs, and what she desires — a grand 
house, servants, money, and horses. Then my wife 
must remember that she did not bring her husband 
a sou when he married her, and did he not take 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


99 


you, my dearest one, without a dot, and we must 
have means, you know, to live, and my meager pay 
is altogether insufficient for our wants/' 

“Alphonso, you know I did not marry you for a 
grand house, for servants, for money, or for horses, 
or for any of those luxuries that you have so lavish- 
ly showered upon me. I married you, my darling 
husband, because I loved you, and I would be happy 
with you in a cottage could I have you all to myself. 
When are you going back to London, dear? My 
parents and my sister have utterly ignored me. I 
can endure the contumely of my parents but oh! 
Alphonso! My twin sister! My Veronica! from 
whom I have never been separated from our birth 
until I m.arried you. Her continued and studied 
silence will well nigh break my heart. I cannot 
endure it any longer!" 

At this Josephine burst into tears, at which her 
husband fondly caressed her, and taking her hands 
from her eyes, said, “Josephine, you do not really 
love your Alphonso. If you did, you would not 
fret so for your sister. Your Alphonso, if you 
loved him as you say you do, would be everything 
to you — father, mother, sister, and friends — 
everything. That is what I call love." 

“Oh, Alphonso, you know that I do love you. 
Have I not sacrificed everything for you? Kiss 
me, my Alphonso. I will try and be brave for 
your sake." 

Thus it was that no matter what wild escapade 
Laudet indulged in, he was always affectionate 
and indulgent to his wife, and her infatuation for 
him increased rather than diminished as the 
months passed. 

Monsieur Laudet came from one of the best 


100 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


known bourgeois families, a family that attained 
its prosperity during the regime of the first Na- 
poleon. His grandsire was a merchant-jeweler, 
a man of very shrewd business instincts. He had 
no scruples in taking undue advantage of the 
many opportunities of a doubtful character that 
presented themselves during that disturbed period. 
He died leaving an immense fortune to his chil- 
dren. Though he had seven sons born to him, all 
but two had perished in the wars of that period. 
These two children inherited their father^s vast 
estates. 

The grandfather of Alphonso, after whom he 
was named, carried on his business, to which he 
added that of a private banker. He was a care- 
ful, shrewd, money-making man, like his father 
before him, so that when he died, he bequeathed 
to the only two sons he had, Louis and Jerome, 
(named after the brothers of the great Napoleon, 
Louis one-time king of Holland, and Jerome king 
of Westphalia), his immense fortune. But Louis 
did not inherit the business instincts of his father, 
but rather was he inclined to the acquisition of 
knowledge. He was strongly attracted to the pro- 
fession of law, in which profession he rose to 
great prominence, so that during those turbulent 
days of 1871, after the defeat of France by Ger- 
many and the establishment of the Republic, he 
was very active and conspicuous, and turned to be 
an ardent Republican, and rendered great service 
to the newly-formed republic, more especially by 
his profound knowledge of constitutional law and 
to some extent by his great wealth. 

Jerome, his younger brother, managed the mer- 
cantile and banking business, inherited jointly 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


101 


with his brother Louis from their father. This 
legal luminary, ardent Republican, and politician^ 
Louis Laudet, was the father of the Alphonso of 
our story. His mother died in giving him birth, 
thus was he deprived of her fostering guidance in 
childhood. Alphonso was most carefully educated 
and instructed and early showed the brilliant 
powers he possessed. Included in his curriculum 
was a three years’ study course in a well known 
English University. Unfortunately for Alphonso, 
his father died when he had just concluded his 
stay in England. At the time of his father’s 
death, he was barely twenty-three years of age. 
His uncle Jerome followed his father to the grave 
within six months, and as he had never married, 
the great bulk of the Laudet fortunes fell to 
Alphonso. 

It was not long before Alphonso plunged into 
the wildest dissipation, and lavished his wealth 
with such an open hand upon every sort and kind 
of questionable undertaking that he became the 
talk and gossip of every capital in Europe. His 
education, knowledge, and accomplishments, ac- 
quired with so much care and oversight by his 
father, insured to him a large circle of acquaint- 
ances, famous and infamous, but so reckless and 
extravagant was Alphonso that at the age of 
twenty-seven he had practically dissipated his 
immense inheritance. 

He was enabled for a while, however, to live on 
his reputation, but that too finally failed him, so 
he was constrained to seek some means of live- 
lihood. 

His affability, his charm of manner, and his 
finished education, and his wide knowledge of Ian- 


102 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


guages, in the acquisition of which he exhibited a 
peculiar aptitude, together with the facts so well 
recognized of his father’s great services to the 
Republic, made it an easy matter for him to se- 
cure an under-secretaryship in the diplomatic 
service. Here, had he chosen to exercise his re- 
markable talents, it would have been a simple 
matter for him to have achieved great distinction 
in the government of the Republic. But his love 
of pleasure and dissipation caused him to be an 
object of concern to his political sponsors, who 
were for the most part ardent friends of his de- 
ceased father, but even they had to admit, not- 
withstanding his failings, that Alphonso’s great 
ability and singular qualifications for the many 
delicate matters of a political nature which had to 
pass through his hands made him almost indis- 
pensible. 

At the time of his introduction into our narra- 
tive, Monsieur Alphonso Laudet, as stated before, 
was in his thirtieth year. He had been connected 
with the diplomatic corps of his government in 
Constantinople, St. Petersburg, and Berlin, being 
transferred to England, in the usual line of promo- 
tion, just a short while before he married Jose- 
phine. To do him justice, he married her with the 
best intentions and resolutions. He was truly in 
love with Josephine, so far as a nature like his 
could be susceptible of a genuine affection. He 
had asked for and obtained a year’s leave of ab- 
sence from his post in London, and had resided in 
Paris ever since. He had installed Josephine in a 
pretentious mansion, and had lavished luxuries 
upon her with a profusion consonant with his 
usual reckless methods, and as we have already 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


103 


said, Josephine began to see the hollow mockery 
and sham of it all; and she resolved, if it were at 
all possible, to wean her husband from Paris and 
his riotous companions, and return with him to 
London, where he would be compelled to hold him- 
self more in check; but all her endeavors proved 
unavailing, as he still persisted in his desperate 
gaming, which, however he invariably turned to 
his own best advantage. 

We must now turn our attention to Veronica. 
The loss of her sister's companionship was a sad 
blow to her, that sister who had pre-natally and 
contemporaneously occupied with herself the same 
maternal biviere, and who had shared with her 
the same cradle, and the same joys and sorrows 
all through their early childhood; that sister who 
had contemporaneously blossomed into young 
womanhod with herself and who shared with her 
all her adolescent hopes and fears; the being, in- 
deed, who was a part of herself; and that she 
should be so suddenly severed from such a com- 
panion was a blow that would have crushed the 
most buoyant nature. But the quiet patience and 
fortitude of Veronica stood her in great stead in 
helping her to bear up against this her first great 
sorrow. 

She was in many ways a most unusual girl. The 
influence of her home, transplanted as it had been 
from its native soil and environment into a for- 
eign atmosphere, doubtless had a depressing and 
saddening effect upon her parents, and thus it 
was that her home environments were tinctured! 
with melancholy and regret. The constant re- 
counting by her parents of the incidents of the 
past, and their frequent references to the misfor- 


104 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


tunes of their own exile, and the continued brood- 
ing over the disasters that had overtaken their 
own beloved chief, the Emperor Napoleon the 
Third, and his brilliant and accomplished wife, had 
the effect of tinging her whole life with a genu- 
ine sorrow, and added to this was the sadness occa- 
sioned by the unfortunate circumstances of tier 
sister's marriage, and her complete severance from 
herself. A settled melancholy stole over Veronica, 
which did not escape the notice of her devoted 
mother, who endeavored to dispel it by still fur- 
ther devotion if that were possible. Her father, 
however, whose constant brooding and wrath over 
Josephine's marriage caused him to be absorbed 
in his own rage and passion, was not conscious of 
the change in Veronica. Veronica herself made 
many brave efforts to throw off this depression of 
spirits that had taken possession of her. She 
strove with great earnestness to devote herself, 
more and more, to her music and to her pupils. 
Madame Favard, at whose home Josephine first 
encountered Laudet, censured herself as being the 
innocent cause of Veronica's changed condition of 
life, brought about by the unfortunate marriage 
of Josephine. This good and kind-hearted lady 
exercised herself in every conceivable way to miti- 
gate and assuage the sorrow of Veronica, and to 
dispel the state of settled melancholy that had 
come over her since her separation from her sis- 
ter. She prevailed upon Veronica to accept em- 
ployment of a very lucrative and dignified nature, 
as a private musical entertainer. She succeeded in 
securing for Veronica many well-paying engage- 
ments in the homes of her influential and wealthy 
friends. 


A BONAP ARTIST EXILE 


105 


The beauty of Veronica, and the natural charm 
of her manner, together with her musical genius, 
soon caused her to be extensively sought after, 
and her constant application to this very congenial 
work tended in a great measure to lighten her 
spirits, and helped her materially and gradually to 
shake off this state of melancholy. 

At the same time Veronica was conscious that a 
great change had taken place in herself; and she 
began to experience a longing for somebody to fill 
the great gap that had been made in the hitherto 
even tenor of her life. So often it is in a woman's 
life that a great sorrow will have spent itself from 
its very excess and intensity, and in its wake will 
follow a great joy. 

The talents and gifts of Veronica and her per^ 
sonal charms soon swept her into a social current 
of highly cultured, sincere, and warm-hearted 
people, and among the many young gentleman of 
wealth and rank that she frequently encountered, 
many of whom, no doubt, must have greatly ad- 
mired her beauty and her singular charm of 
manner, and who must have also sought eagerly to 
further cultivate her friendship, it would have 
been altogether unusual, and out of keeping with 
the eternal fitness of things, if, out of this 
quota of admirers, this great joy, to which 
we have alluded, should fail to materialize and 
there should not come into her life that great joy 
which all natural and wholesome young women look 
ardently forward to — ^the joy of marriage, a home, 
and that supremest of all joys, maternity. 


CHAPTER V 


A NEW WORLD VILLAGE LAWYER AND 
DOCTOR 

For many days after Mr. Reginald Streetfield 
left the village of Great Hope, Tennessee, he was 
a fruitful theme of conversation among the natives 
of that picturesque hamlet. He was viewed and 
discussed from every possible angle, and to borrow 
an anatomical phrase, he was thoroughly dissect- 
ed. The consensus of opinion was that, although 
an Englishman, he was a right down good sort, 
and would have made an excellent citizen of the 
great Republic; that it was his misfortune and 
not his fault that he was not. 

There was, however, one man in that community 
who did not have much to say regarding Reginald 
Streetfield, good, bad, or indifferent. This citizen 
had met the young Briton on various occasions. 
On these occasions Streetfield happened to be in 
the company of Miss Mary MacKenneth, escorting 
her to Silas Thompson, to the Wilcox home, or to 
her own mountain home. 

This citizen was no other than Dr. James Doug- 
las Vernon, or as he was commonly called and 
known as. Doctor J. Douglas Vernon. The doctor 
was practically a new-comer to Great Hope. He 
had succeeded to the arduous and exacting prac- 
tice of the old and retiring doctor, who had for 
so many years attended the sick and suffering of 
that village and the surrounding community. 

A very well disposed man was the doctor, con- 
scientious and painstaking in his work, and de- 
voted to his profession, and far better equipped 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 107 


than the ordinary country practitioner of those 
parts, and he was thereby able to establish himself 
in the confidence and good grace of the commu- 
nity. That Mr. Silas Thompson and himself should 
soon become warm companions is not surprising, 
especially so, as the doctor was particularly fond 
of a game of chess, and when patients were not 
numerous, and the community was more than or- 
dinarily healthy, he would play a game with hini 
either in his own office or that of the attorney. 

Dr. Vernon was at this time in his twenty- 
eighth year. He was good looking, high principled, 
of excellent habits, well brought up, belonging as 
he did to one of the oldest families in the state of 
Tennessee. He was very well informed in his pro- 
fession and enjoyed, an extensive practice. But 
what appeared to disturb the equanimity of the 
good dames of that community was the fact that 
he was still unmarried. Hence, it is not surpris- 
ing that he was looked at and coyly eyed by many 
a comely village and mountain lass. The doctor, 
however, proved impervious and unsusceptible. 
Many indeed were the expressions of regret ut- 
tered by the mothers of these young ladies at his 
unattached and solitary state. 

“It is a pity,” they were wont to say, “that so 
fine a young man, and a doctor at that, does not 
think of marrying and settling down, as a medical 
man ought to do, according to our way of think- 
ing.” 

“There is Jane Bowers. She would make a 
good match for the doctor, she being the only 
child of Anthony Bowers and he having two hundred 
and forty acres of the finest land that the sun ever 
shone on, and every acre paid for. True, Jane is 


108 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the little better of the doctor in years, but what 
of that ? She would, for all that, make him a good 
wife, to say nothing of the two hundred and forty 
acres of land that would be coming to her when her 
father dies,” another would remark. 

‘‘Why! there is Harriet Harding,” a third would 
say, “She is more of the doctor’s age. She was a 
clever girl ,at school. They say she is right smart 
at most things, and plays the piano just perfectly, 
and sings just lovely, and is a model housekeeper; 
a good, sensible girl, and quite pretty, too. Here 
is a good chance for the doctor.” Another would 
solemnly assert that she herself had heard Har- 
riet’s mother say that she would not object to her 
daughter keeping company with the doctor, as he 
was a young man that any young lady might be 
proud of. 

Then another would join in and say, “Why, 
there is Annie Carrigan, and there is Agnes 
Smith,' and there is Jessie McDermot, and Polly 
Ralph, and Martha Whitcombe, all good girls, 
every one of them; and surely the doctor is to be 
censured and pitied if he decides to remain single 
with so many nice marriageable girls in the neigh- 
borhood. There is no excuse for his continuing to 
lead a lonely life.” 

The doctor had been there about two years, and 
he evinced no disposition or inclination to mingle 
with the girls, except in a friendly and perfunc- 
tory manner. This distance (aloofness the good 
dames called it) brought down upon his head many 
a sharp criticism. They would, however, conclude 
their criticisms by adding, as if to soften the 
asperity of their remarks, that he was a good doc- 
tor for all that, as they had to acknowledge, and 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 109 


he had good success with his cases, and had helped 
many sick people. There was Mrs. McDermot, the 
mother of Jessie; had she not been ailing for 
years, but this young doctor, he finds out what 
was wrong with her, and he persuades her to un- 
dergo an operation, and now she declares that she 
is as well as she ever was in her life. Thus and 
so, did these good people talk and gossip about 
Dr. J. Douglas Vernon. Dr. Vernon was not alto- 
together unaware of what was being said about 
himself. To all this he paid scant attention, and 
wended the happy or unhappy, as the vicissitudes 
and the exigencies of his life permitted, tenor of 
his unmarried way. 

The doctor had, nevertheless, a secret of his 
own, which he kept securely locked in his 
bosom. That secret was,, that from admiring Mary 
MacKenneth he had come to love her, as she blos- 
somed into young womanhood, with all the inten- 
sity of his southern nature. Dr. Vernon had taken 
advantage of every opportunity that presented 
itself to be with Mary. He would go out of his 
way to show her many little attentions and cour- 
tesies. He would, on occasion, meet her at Silas 
Thompson's when he happened to drop in upon 
that worthy friend of his. Mary, on her part, 
evinced the greatest friendliness towards him. She 
held his medical skill in high repute, and admired 
him for his conscientious devotion to duty. She 
never once suspected, however, that the doctor re- 
garded her in any other light than that of a free 
and frank girl of the mountains. Mary MacKen- 
neth was the one, and only reason, that Dr. Ver- 
non had not much to say when the young English 
aristocrat's praises were sounded, for he had more 


110 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


than a lurking suspicion that Mary MacKenneth 
regarded the Englishman with favor. On one oc- 
casion, when Mary was extolling the absent Eng- 
lishman to Dr. Venion, he said to her jestingly, 
but really with a view to sounding her feelings for 
Reginald Streetfield, '‘Perhaps yours is a case 
where absence makes the heart grow fonder?” 

“Why, of course, we are all fond of Mr. Street- 
field, Dr. Vernon. Papa, Uncle Silas, the Wilcoxes, 
Emily and myself, we are all equally fond of him, 
and miss him greatly since he went back to 
England.” 

“I do not mean it that way, Mary,” continued 
the doctor, trying to make his point. “What I 
wanted to ask was — Have you yourself a great 
liking for Mr. Streetfield?” 

“I have a great regard for Mr. Streetfield, and 
admire so many of his traits; and I like him of 
course,” rejoined Mary with sincerity. 

“I mean, like him very, very much,” persevered 
the doctor. 

“Of course I like him very, very much. We all 
do, and do you not, Dr. Vernon?” replied Mary 
very innocently, apparently not divining that Dr. 
Vernon was angling for some admission of affec- 
tion on her part for Reginald Streetfield. 

“I did not see so very much of him, Mary, and 
perhaps, should I get to know him better, and as 
well as you do, I shall admire him as much,” re- 
plied Dr. Vernon, diplomatically. “I am certain 
you will,” replied Mary with evident enthusiasm; 
and Dr. Vernon, finding his interrogations were 
leading to nothing, changed the conversation. 

The doctor would have declared to Mary his 
affection for her, but he hesitated on account of 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 111 


her youth, and besides, he had a wholesome respect 
for Angus MacKenneth. He was not quite certain 
how Angus MacKenneth would regard a declara- 
tion of love on his part to his daughter. He might 
regard it as something that partook of an unwar- 
ranted obtrusion on a tender and immature mind. 
He might even resent such an act, on his part, as 
taking an undue advantage of his position, and a 
betrayal of confidence. Angus MacKenneth had 
been extremely kind and friendly to Dr. Vernon 
ever since his advent to Great Hope, and had spo- 
ken many a good word for him, and had highly 
extolled his medical skill, and had, in addition, 
directed many patients to him. Dr. Venion had 
seen MacKenneth on more than one occasion when 
his wrath was kindled and he accordingly enter- 
tained for him a wholesome respect. But Mary 
was young, and the doctor felt that time was on 
his side, and in the meanwhile, he purposed con- 
soling himself with such happiness as he could 
glean from their many casual and friendly meet- 
ings. 

Mary was greatly beloved by her own mountain 
folk, and many were the calls she would make 
upon the sick, and frequently she would even stay 
overnight and watch a sick baby and share the 
anxious vigil of a mother. On some of these occa- 
sions Dr. Vernon would be thrown into her com- 
pany; and did not the simple folk say that the 
doctor was so attentive, and had stayed hours 
with the dear sick child, and that he had watched 
the effects upon the baby of every single dose of 
medicine, and that it was owing to his unselfish 
devotion alone that their dear child recovered? But 
alas! we have to confess that it was the presence 


112 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of Mary MacKenneth that prompted this extreme 
zeal and, perhaps, altogether unnecessary interest 
on the part of the doctor. But nobody knew this 
but himself. Nor did Mary ever suspect that she 
had had such a stimulating effect on the profes- 
sional zeal of Dr. Vernon. Alas, poor man, so 
choice and so rare a mountain flower he dared 
not cull! 

The doctor sedulously guarded Mary in his own 
way, and was even jealous of Reginald Streetfleld. 
But recently he came to regard his rivalry as so 
remote as to be altogether negligible, and dis- 
missed him from his mind. 

On one occasion Mary's foot slipped from under 
her while picking her way down a slippery path- 
way and she sustained a painful wrench of her 
ankle joint, which grew worse after she arrived 
home; so much so, that Dr. Vernon had to be sum- 
moned, and from the very careful and gentle way 
he manipulated that hurt ankle one would have 
supposed that he was handling the choicest and 
the most fragile piece of alabaster, which the 
slightest jarring would have broken into a thous- 
and fragments. 

How solicitous was he, to be sure! And the 
measures he adopted to allay the excruciating pain, 
and his words of sympathy and encouragement 
would take a whole page to relate. However, Mary 
was well again in a week or so, and without in any 
way desiring her to be hurt or in pain. Dr. Vernon 
was grateful to the good Lord for affording him 
this slight opportunity to render her some little 
service. 

Dr. Vernon had on occasions dreamed of Mary 
being very ill and he at her bedside watching her 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 113 


every breath, and maintaining a constant un- 
wearied and unremitting vigil until his adorable 
patient had successfully passed the crisis ; then 
would ensue the period of convalescence and her 
expressions of gratitude. Later would come his 
declaration of love and Mary’s impulsive accept- 
ance, and her artless acknowledgement that she 
had loved him for a long, long time. Then there 
would follow in a short while the father’s consent 
and blessing, and all his life would thereafter be 
lighted by the constant sunshine of her presence. 
Thus would he often ruminate as he slowly wended 
his weary way over the rocky pathways of the 
mountain sides on his faithful nag. So sacredly 
did Dr. Vernon guard his secret that none ever 
suspected his feelings toward Mary, not even 
Grace Wilcox, and the doctor was by no means a 
rare visitor at the Wilcoxes’ home. 

He was there occasionally on professional calls, 
but he far more frequently made social and friend- 
ly visits. Dr. Vernon was much liked and highly 
respected by all the members of that household. 
He visited the Wilcoxes far more often than usual 
in the hope and anticipation of meeting Mary 
there, which was often the case. Dr. Vernon knew 
that Mary shared the same governess with Emily 
Lawrence and he counted upon her being there a 
large share of her time. 

Miss Emily Lawrence would at times tease Mary 
about the doctor, but even this did not arouse any 
suspicions in her mind that perhaps, after all, she 
was the object of the doctor’s solicitude, and the 
cause of his frequent visits at the Wilcox home. 
Mary liked the doctor and regarded him much in 
the same way as she did Silas Thompson, only in 


114 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


an infinitely less degree. 

As for herself, Mary had not as yet experienced 
anything that could be interpreted as so tender a 
feeling as love. She had up to the present been 
heart-whole and fancy free. Hers was a frank, 
open, ingenuous, buoyant nature, bubbling over 
with the pure exuberance of youth, with never a 
shadow to cross it. Towards Reginald, a good 
seven years younger than the doctor, she felt a 
warmer feeling. When he left, she admitted to 
herself that she missed him and his genuine com- 
panionship. Even this passed off, as the days wore 
on, and nothing was left in her mind but a pleas- 
ant memory. 

As for George Wilcox, her cousin, he too, 
showed her much attention, and was very solici- 
tous for her comfort and welfare on every and 
all occasions. Mary regarded George more in the 
light of a brother, and in that sense was perfectly 
frank, free, and easy in her attitude toward him. 
Although George greatly admired his cousin Mary, 
he had never allowed his admiration for her to 
blossom into any tenderer regard for her. George 
Wilcox knew too well the attitude Angus Mac- 
Kenneth would take in such a circumstance. He, 
too, had always looked upon his Uncle Angus with 
a certain feeling of awe. He felt that his Uncle 
Angus would resent the broaching of any tender 
sentiment to his daughter on his part. 

Grace Wilcox, as already stated, was really a 
very handsome young lady, vivacious, sparkling, 
and brilliant. She was popular among the young 
people of her own age. Although some thought 
that she at times assumed an air of self-assurance 
not at all pleasing to a democratic community and 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 115 


society, be that as it may, it did not deter her 
from having many admirers among the many 
eligible gentlemen of her acquaintance. Miss 
Grace never really had had a sweetheart, and 
Dame Rumor said she was too fastidious, and too 
proud and haughty, and that her numerous ad- 
mirers were ever held at a safe distance. Grace 
had made several trips abroad, and had traveled 
extensvely in her own country, yet sous tons les 
rapports ; she apparently remained (to adopt 
Queen Elizabeth's motto) semper eadem, always 
the same, fancy free and heart-whole. 

Mrs. Wilcox had other ambitions for Grace, and 
perhaps it would not be unjust to Grace to say 
that these ambitions of her mother, insidiously in- 
stilled into her mind, had some little influence in 
her assuming that reserved and almost haughty 
attitude which she manifested at times. 

When Reginald Streetfield visited them, hope 
sprang high in Mrs. Wilcox, that now at last an 
opportunity had presented itself whereby her am- 
bitions for Grace might be realized. But Reginald 
was just a boy in that sense, and was apparently 
impervious to any sort of romantic attachment for 
the present, at any rate. To do Grace justice it 
should be stated that she in no wise lent herself 
to her mother's ambitious schemes, and that her 
deportment toward Reginald was always reserved 
and strictly within the limits of the most punc- 
tilious propriety. 

Dr. J. Douglas Vernon was an attractive man 
with a highly intellectual and reflned face, hand- 
some, as men are considered handsome, and far 
above the ordinary standard of medical men met 
with in those country districts. With him Grace 


116 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


was by no means indisposed to coquette on occa- 
sions. For the doctor it would have been an ex- 
cellent match, and, belonging as he did to one of 
the oldest families in Tennessee made him that 
much more eligible for Grace. And as she had a 
fortune in her own right, and would, moreover, 
inherit equally with her brother George the ex- 
tensive Wilcox estates, there is little doubt that 
had not the doctor been so wrapped up in his 
own romantic love for Mary MacKenneth, Grace 
Wilcox would have crossed the Rubicon with him 
and would have assumed the responsible duties and 
entered upon the life of a physician's wife. 

It has been stated that Dr. Vernon was a fre- 
quent caller at the Wilcox domicile, and was al- 
ways cordially received. He was not so blind as 
not to see that his attentions would be welcomed 
by Grace, but he never ventured beyond the bounds 
of conventionality, and Miss Grace's innate mod- 
esty and sense of propriety on, the other hand, 
would not permit her, under any circumstances, to 
have assumed anything approaching or even sug- 
gesting an aggressive attitude. 

Rather was she restrained than otherwise, ex- 
cept on those rare occasions when the doctor 
adopted a bantering attitude and she, not to be 
outdone, would assume a coquettish one in self- 
defense; but be these things as they may. Dr. 
Vernon still remained in his state of blessed sin- 
gleness, or single blessedness, just as one may 
wish to express it, and Grace still continued to 
adorn the home of her parents. 

It is not to be supposed that such an astute 
observer as Mr. Silas Thompson was not aware of 
Grace's feelings for Dr. Vernon, the feelings of the 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 117 


party of the second part, as he facetiously thought 
of her. Mr. Silas Thompson did not suspect in the 
least the cause of Dr. Vernon's indifference to 
Grace, as he regarded Mary as a child, and he 
took it as a matter of course that everybody 
looked upon her in the same light. He never 
seemed to be conscious that Mary was fast blos- 
soming into womanhood, and that her power of 
attraction was growing stronger from day to day. 
The charming naivete of Mary's mannerisms 
caused him to overlook the fact that his protege, 
or as he called her, his mountain rosebud, was fast 
reaching the full growth of womanhood, and that 
she could not always remain a child. 

Grace, on the other hand, was more understand- 
able. She was just a matured woman, of legal 
age, and one was justified in dwelling upon the 
probability of her early marriage. But Grace was 
certainly not a young lady who wore her heart on 
her coat sleeve for jackdaws to peck at. She had 
a just appreciation of her own worth and her own 
station in life. Mr. Silas Thompson regarded Dr. 
Vernon as an extremely fortunate man when he 
discerned that Grace would not be adverse to his 
advances. 

Mr. Thompson thereupon resolved that, should 
an opportunity occur, he would broach the subject 
to the doctor. Nor had he long to wait. Dr. Ver- 
non, as stated before, would, when at leisure, often 
play a game of chess with Silas Thompson. They 
were playing a game of chess on this particular 
day, and he remarked, to open the way to what he 
was desirous of saying, ^‘Do you know, doctor, that 
it is kind of you to give an old fogy like myself 
so much of your leisure time. It has been a puzzle 


118 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


to me why you have not selected one of the many 
beautiful girls the community boasts of and settle 
down under your own vine and fig tree.” 

“Oh, I do not suppose that any of the girls 
around here that are worth having want to be 
bothered with me,” retorted Dr. Vernon. “I am 
afraid I am too prosaic, too much wrapped up in 
my work. I would soon pall upon a wife.” 

“I am not so sure about that, doctor, I know of 
a very estimable lady, who I am sure, regards you 
with favor, and should you decide to buckle on 
your armor, why, you have my best wishes. It is 
up to you, as the saying goes.” 

“And pray who is the fair damsel you have in 
mind, Mr. Thompson?” inquired the doctor, laugh- 
ingly. 

“Can you not guess?” queried Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son. 

“Perhaps I can, and perhaps I cannot, but I am 
not going to,” replied Dr. Vernon. 

“Well, if you won't guess, I will have to tell you. 
I suspect you know, however. It is Miss Grace 
Wilcox.” 

“My dear Silas, do you suppose that Miss Grace 
Wilcox would for a moment deign to consider an 
impecunious country medical practitioner like my- 
self? You have another guess coming to you, Mr. 
Thompson.” 

“Perhaps I have, and perhaps I have not, to quote 
your words, doctor. But I do not see why Miss 
Grace should look askance at you. She is wealthy 
in her own right. That is generally known and I 
am not divulging professional secrets. You are, on 
the other hand, well versed in your profession. You 
are leading an extremely useful life though perhaps 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 119 


in a limited field You are young and strong, men- 
tally and physically, and with a brilliant future 
ahead of you. Your family is equally as old, 
reputable and respected as the Wilcoxes. I can 
see no hindrance to your marrying Miss Grace 
Wilcox, and I am convinced that you will find little 
objection on the part of the family. ’’ 

“Perhaps you are correct, Silas,'' as the doctor 
sometimes called him when discussing or talking 
upon any serious or personal matters. “But here 
is one who does not purpose undertaking the risk 
of refusal. To tell you the truth, although I ad- 
mire Miss Wilcox and admit her many excellent 
qualities and accomplishments, I cannot, at any 
rate in my present frame of mind, entertain any 
thoughts toward her excepting those of friend- 
ship, esteem and admiration." 

“Matters will shape themselves, matters will 
shape themselves, doctor. To be frank, I somehow 
feel that you both are destined to be man and 
wife." 

“It is very generous and kind of you to feel like 
that towards me, Silas, especially in regard to so 
excellent a young lady as Miss Grace, but I assure 
you, that, as far as I am concerned there will be 
nothing doing," replied Vernon good humoredly. 

“Well, well, doctor, we shall say no more about 
the matter. It is your next move on the chess 
board. White to move and checkmate in three 
moves. See whether or not you can make that a 
success. It may be more difficult than the matter 
we have just been discussing." 

“White moves Queen." 

“Black moves king's bishop's pawn, and asks 
for silence." 


120 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘‘White moves and calls Queen check.” 

“Black moves king’s bishop’s pav^n, interposes.” 

“White moves queen’s knight.” 

“Black moves queen. Checkmate.” 

“There, you see, doctor, I have checkmated you 
in three moves. You ought to have won in three, 
but you did not, and lost to me in three instead. 
Thus it is in life. When we have everything 
our own way we make the wrong move and fail 
to win. Let this be a lesson to you, doctor, from 
an older man, not wishing in the least to be hyper- 
critical. Play another.” 

“I am afraid I cannot. I have a late call, so will 
say good-night, Uncle Silas. You are a good man, 
every inch of you. I regret there are not more 
like you. Good-night.” 

Dr. Vernon was lost in a brown study as he 
wended his way to his patient’s house. 

He could not help but admit to himself that he 
had been affected in some little degree by the gen- 
tle, refined influence that surrounded Grace Wil- 
cox, as well as by her own great charms; and he 
further admitted that it would be a most aus- 
picious and advantageous marriage for himself if 
he married into the Wilcox family. He was am- 
bitious to further his studies along certain highly 
specialized lines and that would need no incon- 
siderable sum of money. This he did not have, or 
could he secure it from his parents for they had 
been utterly ruined by the War of Secession, being 
reduced from great wealth to positive indigence. 
Should he marry Grace Wilcox, he could see the 
fruition of all his ambitions. In his present scope 
of activity the work was hard, exacting, and not 
very remunerative, the fees being small, and even 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 121 


at that, very precarious and difficult in obtaining. 
It would take a few years before he would ever 
be in a position to further his ambitious schemes. 

Doctor Vernon felt, at the bottom of his heart, 
the futility of waiting for Mary. Mary was young, 
immature in mind and affection, and her further 
development was naturally, after all, a matter of 
uncertainty. Supposing she should never care for 
him, and should possibly care for somebody else. 
These thoughts often flitted through his mind and 
filled him with apprehension and uncertainty. 

Doctor J. Douglas Vernon lived in rather a pre- 
tentious house for Great Hope. It was large and 
roomy, and well shaded by splendid poplar, mag- 
nolia, and pine trees which virtually surrounded 
the house, and converted it into a veritable rus 
in urhe. The doctor employed a man and his wife 
to take care of his house. The wife looked after 
the house, and the husband his horses, besides be- 
ing a general handy man and attending to all 
matters outside. Philip Knox was his name, but 
he was generally known as Phil Knox. 

Phil Knox was something of a natural philoso- 
pher. He was a good-natured, honest, care-free 
sort of man, faithful in his duties, which, however, 
had to be carefully set forth for him. He was in- 
valuable to Dr. Vernon. His imperturbable good 
nature stood him in good stead in accommodating 
and accustoming himself to the necessarily ir- 
regular habits and work of the doctor. Phil Knox 
would arise cheerfully at any hour of the night to 
saddle the doctor’s horse or to get ready his 
buggy, as the case may be, and he would often 
accompany the doctor on many of his calls during 


122 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the night, and very frequently during the day. 

Phil Knox was so often seen with the doctor, 
that he too earned the sobriquet of “Doc.” Some 
of the more than usually unsophisticated would, 
on occasions, call to him, saying, “Say, Doc Phil, 
come up here and tell us what ails this here kid 
of ours. We do not want to bother the doctor for 
every little trifling ailment. You can tell us as 
well as he can.” It was only by the inflexible ob- 
stinacy of Phil that he was able at all to resist 
these insistent pleadings. 

He was a man of about thirty years, a type of- 
ten met with at that time in the south. These 
men had in them something of the character of 
that large class in England that usually are to be 
found around the paddocks. Loyal to their em- 
ployers, but careless and carefree in their manner 
of earning a livelihood, come-day-go-day-God- 
send-Sunday sort of men. Nevertheless, there was 
something sterling and rugged in their make-up. 
They were ever ready to play the game, and took 
their good luck with a good deal of noise and self- 
congratulation, and their bad luck uncomplainingly 
and in silence. Phil Knox was a typical rousta- 
bout, as this class of men was usually designated 
in the south. They are frequently met with in the 
Carolinas, Virginias, Tennessee, Kentucky, and 
Georgia. They are to be found in most of the 
southern states and in the southern portions of 
the northern states. One reprehensible habit that 
Phil Knox possessed and one which at intervals, 
would get away with hinx, was that of drinking 
too heavily of moonshine whiskey, for the carry- 
ing of which, he had cultivated an almost un- 
limited capacity. He seldom visited the saloons. 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 123 


or dram shops as they were called, of his own 
accord. When found in one, it was usually due to 
some generous soul who had invited him to ''lift 
one,'’ which he did with great alacrity, but he in- 
variably left immediately after. Knox was by no 
means a bar lounger, or a bar-room lizard, as that 
class of men, who eternally hug the saloon bars, 
was called. He had too much self-respect for that. 
The times that he would get halfseas over were 
those when some generous moonshiner would make 
him a present of half a gallon of good whiskey. 
Phil was never offensive, even in his cups, but 
rather was he inclined to be loquacious and philo- 
sophic. He persistently maintained that religion 
was synonymous with good citizenship and he 
would descant with emphasis upon the incongruity 
of religion and poor citizenship. His philosophy 
was that a man could not afford to be other than 
a good citizen. He seldom went to the church ser- 
vices in Great Hope; he left that to his wife, who, 
as he said, was not versed in philosophy. To be a 
man, with the emphasis upon a man, was Phil's 
highest ideal. Like all his class the taking of the 
Lord's name in vain had become a habit with him. 
So accustomed have these men become to this form 
of invocation that they entertain an ill-defined be- 
lief that they are, indeed, paying the Deity an 
indirect compliment by mentioning Him on all 
occasions. In addition they all too frequently 
and with an utter disregard of the nicety of ex- 
pression, prefix the vengeance of an angry Deity 
as a qualifying and emphasizing adjective, to th<i'- 
male progeny of our domesticated canines, when 
wishing particularly to denounce some one or some 
thing. Their language at times, to say the least 


124 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of it, is emphatic and picturesque if not edify- 
ing, but withal, good natured. They are invariably 
cheery, and ever ready to hear or recount a good 
story, especially if the point of the story concerns 
one of their acquaintances or friends. There is a 
surprising absence of viciousness in these men. 
They are for the most part carefree. A mean man 
to them is synonymous with a vicious one. When 
they allude to an individual as being a mean man 
it was to emphasize a vicious one. Once having 
acquired that reputation, the mean man becomes a 
marked man in the community. He is a man to be 
left alone, and not associated with beyond the 
ordinary courtesies of life, or to engage in a busi- 
ness dealing with, or to enter into any kind of an 
argument with. 

These men bestow their friendship very readily, 
that friendship being of the communistic kind. 
They seldom cultivate very close friendships. 
Should they ever do so, those friendships last a 
life time. They aim, they say, to treat everybody 
white, and everybody alike. Should they know in- 
timately a dozen men, and all of these men were 
good citizens, measured according to their stand- 
ard of good citizenship, no one of them could claim 
a greater degree of friendship than the rest. All, 
they maintain, are entitled to the same courteous 
treatment and service. Serve one, serve all, is 
their motto. 

Phil Knox's wife was a sallow, thin visaged lady, 
very austere and religious, punctilious in her at- 
tendance at church, and extremely scrupulous in 
her duties. In fact she was entirely centered in 
her own affairs and her own affiliations. 

She was very conventional, and dressed in an ul- 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 125 


tra severe fashion. She gloried in keeping her 
home scrupulously clean. She could often be seen 
scrubbing down the front porch steps even when 
it was raining hard. She entertained the utmost 
aversion to the drinking of alcoholic beverages. 
Phil had to invent all manner of ingenious ex- 
cuses after he had been keeping out of her sight 
and out of the reach of her tongue when in his 
cups. This, to him, had become an instinct, and in 
formulating these excuses his brain functioned al- 
most automatically. Phil preferred, he said, meet- 
ing the devil to encountering the blistering tongue 
of his wife, when he happened to be on one of his 
sprees. 

That Mrs. Knox should believe or pretend to be- 
lieve Phil's most absurd excuses, to account for his 
periodical absences, calls for some explanation. 
She feigned to believe him because she was then 
prepared without any violation of her conscience, 
to refute with indignation any imputation that 
some kind but officious neighbor might bring 
against Phil. No sooner did the neighbors begin 
to say aught against Phil to her than she would 
vehemently refute it and refuse to believe it or 
countenance anything that they might say against 
her husband. 

Phil was aware of this peculiar angle of his 
wife's disposition, and the remembrance of it, on 
more than one occasion, helped him to respect his 
wife's prejudices, and to curb his appetite for good 
moonshine. He would often hold forth vigorously 
before his wife and her friends over the evils of 
rum, much to the edification of his wife, who 
would quote Phil's arguments when vigorously 


126 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


denying any insinuation that he was himself in 
the habit of over-indulging. 

With the aid of these two faithful souls Dr. 
Vernon was well served in regard to the creature 
comforts of his existence. Phil seemed to divine 
his master’s partiality to Miss Mary MacKenneth, 
and he was most scrupulously polite to her. Mary, 
on her part, was always gracious to Phil. As for 
Angus, he had taken a liking to the crude philoso- 
pher, and would often draw him out in his quaint 
witticisms, which were a source of much amuse- 
ment to MacKenneth 

Phil, like the rest of his neighbors, entertained 
a deep respect for Mr. MacKenneth, not, however, 
unmingled with awe. He had never forgotten that 
years ago, when he was a much younger man, and 
before he had met the present Mrs. Knox, how 
Angus MacKenneth had saved him from an awk- 
ward, not to say dangerous situation. 

It happened in this way. Phil had been drink- 
ing heavily of moonshine and, as was usual with 
him under those circumstances, propounded some 
of his philosophy with great emphasis and self- 
assertion. Umbrage was taken at the vigor of his 
speech and manner, and one word leading to an- 
other, he soon became embroiled with half a dozen 
of his fellow citizens. They proceeded to manifest 
their disapproval of his philosophic views by at- 
tacking him. Phil, who was as courageous as a 
lion, fought back vigorously ; but he was soon 
overcome and would have doubtless received gre- 
vious injuries at the hands of his infuriated op- 
ponents. Angus MacKenneth happened to be pass- 
ing by on his horse, and seeing the predicament of 
Phil, he rode into the group and soon extricated 


VILLAGE LAWYER AND DOCTOR 127 


him from his unenviable position. Since then Phil 
had entertained a most wholesome respect for An- 
gus MacKenneth. It soon became known that Mac- 
Kenneth favorably regarded Phil, and this stood 
him in good stead when he indulged in his ex- 
travagant contentions. 

Another valuable acquisition of Phil was his 
loyalty to the boys of the moonshine fraternity, as 
he called them. He had a natural gift of recog- 
nizing a revenue officer, no matter how disguised. 
He would frequently warn his friends by a secret 
signal, which would be relayed from mountain side 
to mountain side, and in this way did he help them 
and frustrate the efforts of the revenue officers 
to ferret out the locations of illicit distilleries. For 
these very valuable and timely services, Phil was 
often surreptitiously rewarded with half a gallon 
of moonshine whiskey. 

The life of Dr. Vernon was one of hard and un- 
remitting toil. He had little in common with his 
clientele, except that, being a man of broad humane 
feelings, he was gratified when he was able to help 
a fellow creature with his professional skill. 

On one occasion a company of revenue officers 
decided upon seducing Phil Knox from his loyalty 
to the moonshiners. He was to receive a reward 
of fifty dollars for every distillery located. Having 
consented to this, Phil led the officers a merry 
chase over the crags and ravines and mountain 
tops, and through deep crevices, finally abandoning 
them in an almost inaccessible fastness by creep- 
ing away himself through a hidden crevice and by 
a secret pathway, which were entirely obscured by 
the rugged and overhanging rocks. The revenue 
officers had a most unenviable night of it. 


CHAPTER VI 

THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 

Dr. Vernon and Mr. George Wilcox became fast 
friends. The doctor, although several years older, 
evinced a feeling of warm affection for his young 
neighbor, and this friendship, as one would natur- 
ally expect, frequently brought him into the so- 
ciety of George's sister Grace, and between them 
a strong feeling of comaraderie was established. 
It was about a year after Reginald Streetfield had 
returned to England that George Wilcox was taken 
very seriously ill with an attack of mountain 
fever, which he had no doubt contracted by ac- 
companying Dr. Vernon on many of his profes- 
sional calls and jaunts over the mountains. With 
the aid of an excellent nurse, Grace's constant 
solicitude, and the skill of Dr. Vernon, George Wil- 
cox pulled through his dangerous malady. His 
period of convalescence was slow and protracted, 
however, and Mr. Wilcox, senior, suggested that 
George take a sea voyage and that Dr. Vernon ac- 
company him. The doctor was loath to give up 
his work among the simple folk of his district, but 
Mr. Wilcox placed the remuneration so high, that 
the financial advantage proved too alluring. He 
therefore decided to take advantage of the offer. 
The money thus earned would help him, he reck- 
oned, to realize his ambitions to take a course of 
study in the world renowned medical schools 
abroad, and would enable him to perfect himself 
in the special line he had chosen. Mr. Albert Wil- 
cox insisted that Phil Knox accompany them as 
valet to both, and later he was to transfer his 
services to George. 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 129 


To this proposal Phil agreed with considerable 
alacrity. Phil had recently made one or two slips 
in his ambitious resolutions to keep temperate. He 
secured his wife’s consent to his going abroad 
with the doctor by adducing the specious argu- 
ment that he would be free from the seductiveness 
of moonshine whiskey, which whiskey, he as- 
severated, was the only kind he craved. Besides, 
would he not be away, he said to her, from the 
temptations offered by the munificence of moon- 
shiners, who frequently donated to him demi-johns 
of whiskey. 

The doctor prevailed upon Mrs. Knox to con- 
tinue her services as housekeeper to his successor. 
All these arrangements finally being concluded, 
Mr. George Wilcox and Dr. Vernon, attended by 
Phil Knox, departed upon a long cruise through 
the Mediterranean and the countries bordering 
thereon. 

George had been the recipient of many anxious 
letters from Reginald and he, in turn, duly in- 
formed his friend of the contemplated cruise, and 
promised to see Reginald in England, where he 
expected to be in three or four months. 

It is not the purpose of this narrative to re- 
count the many incidents of the pleasant voyage, 
beyond stating that Phil Knox rapidly grew in 
popularity with the ship’s crew. He seemed to be 
a source of perpetual amusement to many of them. 
His popularity was not confined to the crew. His 
quaint philosophy interested the passengers as 
well. 

On more than one occasion Dr. Vernon had to 
call him to account, for he had kept some of the 


130 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


crew so continuously amused as to distract them 
from their duties. 

‘T shall have to put your man in irons/’ said the 
captain to Dr. Vernon one day, jestingly, when 
Phil Knox had provoked more than ever the up- 
roarious mirth of the crew. ‘'He must leave my 
crew lalone.” 

Phil really did seem to possess the faculty of 
amusing them, and this interfered with the ship’s 
work. “We shall most certainly have to do some- 
thing with him,” replied Dr. Vernon as he ob- 
served Phil the center of an admiring and hilari- 
ous group. “We shall have to throw him over- 
board, put him in irons, or administer a narcotic 
to keep him quiet for the rest of the voyage.” 

We have this much to say of Phil Knox. He 
was strictly temperate ! He. had solemnly asserted 
to his wife that it was the moonshine whiskey 
that was at fault, and not himself. He was dem- 
onstrating the truth of that statement, beyond 
peradventure. The purser, the chief steward, and 
several of the officers had, time and again, offered 
Phil a glass of spirits, and less potent beverages. 
The self-righteous manner of Phil’s refusal would 
cause them infinite amusement. 

Mr. George Wilcox improved in health rapidly. 
After visiting several of the seaboard cities of the 
Mediterranean, which included a trip to Jerusa- 
lem, and a run to Constantinople, the party disem- 
barked at Naples. They visited Rome and Venice, 
and passed over the Alps to Vienna. Here Dr. 
Vernon parted company with Mr. Wilcox, the doc- 
tor having decided to continue his studies there. 

Phil Knox was to accompany George Wilcox and 
was assigned, for the time being, solely to his 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 131 


service. Two months had passed since they had 
left New York, and George had now recovered hia 
usual vigor. It was with the deepest regret that 
these two friends parted company. Mr. George 
Wilcox and his man Phil wended their way to Lon- 
don via Paris. 

Mr. Wilcox had letters of introduction to several 
men of prominence in Paris. So hospitable and 
kind were these people to George Wilcox that he 
lingered in Paris much longer than he intended or 
anticipated. The unfortunate Phil Knox, because 
of his utter ignorance of the French tongue, 
caused him to be a man apart. He struggled man- 
fully to learn the most commonplace words, but 
with little success. He was very scrupulous in at- 
tending to his employer's wants, and he would not 
hesitate to threaten and even to fight if he consid- 
ered that Mr. George Wilcox was being over- 
reached in any way by the employees of the hotel 
at which they were staying. Phil Knox, however 
solitary, had one companion. He was the porter 
at the hotel, a young Irishman of about twenty- 
five; and speaking the same language, they soon 
became fast friends. This young man went by the 
name of William Burke. He was generally known 
as Bill Burke. Phil Knox would, on occasion, fa- 
cetiously remark about a Bill and a Phil. These 
two became such inseparable friends that Phil, 
who knew a few facts of astronomy gleaned from 
his conversations with Dr. Vernon when they to- 
gether made those long tedious drives on starry 
nights, in days gone by in Tennessee dubbed him- 
self Castor and William Burke, Pollux. These 
stars, he told Bill, were two of the greatest stars 
in the heavens, while they were the two big men 


132 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


in the retinue of that hotel. Will Burke spoke 
French fluently, and was thereby able to get along 
well with the native French, from whom, indeed, it 
was difficult to distinguish him. Bill was undoubt- 
edly a great acquisition to Phil, who would have 
been lost entirely if Bill had not accompanied him 
on his excursions and perigrinations in and around 
Paris. 

It happened that at this time Captain Tom Bros- 
by (he was a captain now) had occasion to visit 
Paris, and, as fortune would have it, he elected to 
stay at this same hotel. Accompanying the gallant 
captain was his military orderly, Harry Brooks. It 
did not take very long before Phil Knox, Bill 
Burke and Harry Brooks became well acquainted. 
Nor were Phil and Bill and Harry any the less 
gratified when they found out that Captain Brosby 
and Mr. George Wilcox were old acquaintances. 
The Captain was delighted to And George Wilcox 
in Paris. He and George had met on more than 
one occasion at the home of his sister. Lady Street- 
field, at Streetfleld Manor, Gloucestershire, Eng- 
land. 

The Captain had heard of the serious illness of 
Wilcox, and congratulated him on his excellent re- 
covery. A new vista opened before Wilcox, for the 
Captain had a wide circle of acquaintances in Paris, 
and took it upon himself to make George's stay 
there as pleasurable as possible. It was not many 
days before Captain Brosby was thrown into the 
society of Monsieur Laudet and he, with his usual 
ease soon ingratiated himself into the good will of 
the Captain. Through Brosby, Wilcox got to know 
Monsieur Laudet and was at once fasci- 
nated by the charming manners of the young 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 133 


French diplomat. Laudet’s thorough knowledge of 
English, and his clear enunciation of it, was a 
great asset which enabled him to hold and extend 
his influence upon his newly made friends. 

'That Frenchman, Mr. George,” Phil said, "That 
the Captain brought up here, he is no good at a!!. 
That man, Mr. George, I would not trust near a 
chicken coop. He reminds me of one of those there 
revenue officers that used to come down to Great 
Hope. He is too sweet to be nice. Take my ad- 
vice, Mr. George, and stay away from him. He is 
not a good citizen.” 

"I guess I can take care of myself, Phil,” re- 
torted George Wilcox good humor edly, amused at 
his servant's solicitude. 

"Perhaps you can, and perhaps you can't, George 
Wilcox, but me for the tall timber when I see such 
a guy around,” retorted Phil, sententiously. 

Phil in moments of great confidence would ad- 
dress Mr. George Wilcox as George. He had known 
his employer, boy and man, and had called him 
George in his boyhood and young manhood. George 
Wilcox was too little of an upstart to resent such 
good-natured and well intentioned familiarity on 
the part of his employee. Besides, the line of 
cleavage between master and man is not so 
closely drawn in the States as it is in Europe. 
However, these occasions only happened when they 
were alone. In public Phil was punctiliously re- 
spectful to his employer. 

Nor were Bill Burke and Harry Brooks any 
more impressed with Monsieur Laudet than Phil 
Knox. They were all conscious of the baneful in- 
fluence that the Frenchman was beginning to exert 
upon the Captain and George. Monsieur Laudet, 


134 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


with his usual astuteness, did not overlook any 
opportunity to ingratiate himself into the good 
will of Phil Knox, Bill Burke and Harry 
Brooks. He was bountiful in his largesse to them, 
and affable and courteous whenever he had occa- 
sion to address them; but even that condescension 
and liberality upon his part did not alter the aver- 
sion that these three men had taken from him. 
Laudet carried off Captain Tom (as he was usual- 
ly referred to by his orderly) and George Wilcox, 
almost every day, to parts unknown to their re- 
spective servants. They would often stay away 
until the small hours of the morning, when the 
Captain and Wilcox would return in an hilarious 
mood, looking much the worse for wear. Bill 
Burke, who was familiar with every nook and 
cranny of Paris, traced the trio to a notorious 
gambling resort in the environs of the city. He 
had even gone as far as to pry into their move- 
ments when inside. He related what he had seen 
to his companions and the three of them concluded 
that George Wilcox and Captain Tom had fallen 
under a very malign influence. It was fortunate 
for the Captain that he was recalled to England 
upon important military affairs. He had just 
passed through an experience which might have 
terminated very seriously both to Wilcox and him- 
self. Harry Brooks, the orderly, had been watch- 
ful as a weasel, and had taken cognizance of every 
move his Captain had made when in the company 
of Monsieur Laudet. Captain Tom and George 
Wilcox spoke French sufficiently well to express 
themselves intelligently on any topic. Will Burke 
overheard Laudet arrange with Captain Tom and 
Wilcox to meet at the Chateau d’Eaulant. He heard 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 135 


Monsieur Laudet also say that he had invited sev- 
eral French officers of the Chasseurs d’Afric to 
meet the Captain and Wilcox at a game of cards. 
Captain Brosby and George Wilcox were really 
very skillful and careful players. 

The purpose of Laudet was to allow the French- 
men, who were extremely wealthy and played for 
high stakes but were indifferent players and took 
their losses with a good deal of sangfroid, to lose 
heavily to the Englishman and the American. He 
anticipated that they were bound to do this, ow- 
ing to the skillfulness at play of Captain Tom and 
George Wilcox. He purposed himself to lose to 
them to some extent also. At this juncture he 
had arranged that a telegram be delivered to him, 
which would furnish an excuse for his absence 
for a short while. 

In the meantime the game was to proceed with- 
out him, and the French officers, he felt assured, 
would still continue to lose heavily. At a time ar- 
ranged, a pack of apaches in LaudeFs service, were 
to pounce upon the players and strip them of all 
their money and, binding them hand and foot, de- 
camp with the loot. Later he was to return and 
play the role of savior of the party. Wine, brandy, 
and absinthe were to be liberally supplied, and 
their creature comforts were sumptuously provid- 
ed for by the keepers of the Chateau d’Eaulant. 

Laudet had very carefully thought out his plans, 
and purposed leaving nothing to chance, but he 
did not reckon upon Bill Burke, who had over- 
heard his invitation. So impressed was Bill Burke 
with an apprehension of impending disaster to 
Captain Tom and Mr. George Wilcox that he 
traced Laudet to the Chateau d’Eaulant, and saw 


136 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


him meet two apaches and engage them in earnest 
conversation. Bill Burke, of course, took care not 
to be observed. After Laudet was through with 
the apaches, and had disappeared, he contrived to 
get into conversation vdth them, and pretending 
that he himself was one of their own kind, he was 
able by his native gift of dissimulation, which he 
possessed to a high degree, to finally so gain the 
confidence of these two apacfies that they dis- 
closed to him the whole plot, and invited him to 
join them in their enterprise that night. This 
Will Burke apparently was delighted to do. He lost 
no time in communicating to Phil Knox and Harry 
Brooks the details of his adventure and his dis- 
covery. Harry Brooks related that his Captain had 
returned several times with immense sums of 
money upon him, which were, he confided to his 
orderly while in his cups, his winnings at the table. 
George had acted in the same manner, for that 
matter. 

The plan of Monsieur Laudet was an old one of 
his and he had carried it out successfully many 
times before. It was not difficult for Laudet to 
arrange the details of this one; on the contrary, 
it was extremely simple. 

The Chateau d’Eaulant was one of those ancient 
residential buildings that had been saved by a for- 
tunate dispensation from the general destruction 
that overtook so many of those ancient houses of 
the gentry and nobility of France during the revo- 
lution of the previous century. At the time of the 
revolution the Chateau lay beyond the environ- 
ments of the city, but now owing to its rapid 
growth, it was well within the confines of the 
city. 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 137 


To leave nothing to chance, Laudet provided a 
stool pigeon, in the person of a certain Monsieur 
Henry Rochecauld, an impecunious barrister whose 
affability, wit, and good breeding would insure him 
a friendly reception by the other members of the 
party. 

Harry Brooks had been more than usually solici- 
tous lately of his military superior, and was ap- 
prehensive of some impending evil. The previous 
evening Captain Tom had returned with consider- 
able winnings. He had staked heavily and won. 
The Captain also showed the effects of heavy 
drinking. 

Laudet had arranged to have at dinner that eve- 
ning, George Wilcox, Captain Brosby, Monsieur 
Rochecauld, and the three French officers. After 
a most convivial meal, at which jthe sparkling wit- 
ticisms and hon mots of Henry Rochecauld aroused 
the party to a high state of gaiety and enjoyment, 
and after paying a visit to the Opera Comique 
they repaired to the Chateau d'Eaulant. There a 
short colloquy took place at the gate with the con- 
cierge, after which the massive gates were opened 
and their carriages allowed to enter the secluded 
and well-guarded premises. 

Mr. William Burke had, earlier in the day, made 
a very careful survey of the chateau and its 
grounds. He learned that the chateau grounds 
were fairly extensive and surrounded by a mas- 
sive wall twelve feet high, the top of which had 
been skillfully spiked. He discovered that a branch 
of a spreading chestnut tree extended well over a 
section of the wall. This suggested to him one 
method of entrance to the Chateau grounds. He 
reasoned that by throwing a rope attached to a 


138 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ladder over the extended branch, they would be 
able to climb up into the tree, and avoid the spiked 
wall, and by the same device descend the other 
side. Will Burke, who was an able-bodied seaman, 
having served his time before the mast, knew that 
this could readily be done. Having made mental 
notes of all these matters, he returned to his com- 
panions, Phil Knox and Harry Brooks. 

A council of war was held and they mapped out 
the following plan of campaign. They decided to 
take with them a collapsing ladder, with a suitable 
rope and hook attachment to grasp the bough of 
the chestnut tree, also some cord and several large 
handkerchiefs, to be used in case any binding and 
gagging had to be resorted to. Each of them was 
, to carry two revolvers. They were to proceed, thus 
provided, to the Chauteau d’Eaulant in three cabs, 
the loyalty and co-operation of whose drivers Will 
Burke could readily vouch for, these drivers being 
friends of his. They were to halt some little dis- 
tance away. They were to be ensconced behind 
some favoring hedges. 

That night at about twelve o’clock the three pro- 
ceeded in separate cabs to the Chauteau. On ar- 
riving they alighted and cautiously made their 
Ayay to that part of the Chauteau wall overhung 
by the branch of the chestnut tree. Will Burke 
leading the way. On arriving there, he succeeded 
in noiselessly attaching the collapsing ladder, by 
means of the hook, to the overhanging branch, and 
they were soon on the tree well inside the wall. 
Unfastening the ladder, they secured it to another 
and inner bough, and let themselves down into 
the garden of the Chauteau, without raising an 
alarm. 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 139 


Once within the grounds they proceeded to ad- 
vance cautiously towards the chauteau itself. After 
a careful reconnoiter they discovered that they 
could gain access into the chauteau through a win- 
dow on the upper story. Fortunately the shadows 
from the elm trees that surrounded the chauteau 
obscured their actions, for it happened to be a 
moonlight night. Bill Burke soon had the ladder in 
position, placing it directly under the window 
through which they intended entering the house. 
Fortune favored them again, as a brisk breeze 
sprang up, which moaned and whistled through 
the trees, preventing in that way any adventitious 
sounds being heard. Will Burke, already having 
the ladder in proper position, crept up and 
reached the window, which he pried open by a few 
dexterous movements with a burglar’s jimmy he 
had provided for just such an occasion. 

At this juncture, a door at the back of the 
Chateau opened, and a woman and a man in livery 
appeared. A shrill female voice was heard to say, 
“I am sure, Brouget, I heard a noise like a window 
creaking.” This brought Biirke scampering down 
again. 

'‘Nothing but the wind, Madame,” responded her 
companion. "Cannot you hear how the wind howls 
to-night ?” 

"It is truly a boisterous night, Brouget. It may 
have been a dried and withered branch that 
crackled being broken by the force of the wind. 
I cannot see how anybody can get in here. How- 
ever, I shall keep my ears open, and if I hear it 
again, I shall summon the gate keeper, and will 
not rest satisfied until I have searched all around 


140 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the house. I will go upstairs in the meanwhile and 
see if the windows are all fastened securely.’^ 

You may be sure that our three amateur burg- 
lars kept very still and silent while this conversa- 
tion went on. A new danger confronted them. 
Should Madame find the window pried open, she 
would without doubt give the alarm and this would 
lead to the upsetting of all their carefully laid 
plans. There was not much time to be lost. Will 
Burke, who appeared to be able to think the quick- 
est, seized some rope and a few of the large hand- 
kerchiefs and climbed deftly up the ladder after 
instructing the others to follow him with the rest 
of their paraphernalia. He climbed through the 
now opened window and was soon inside, and none 
too soon. Before Madame, however, could open the 
door, Burke ran softly across the room and stood 
to one side of it, using his dark lantern to avoid 
striking any object that might obstruct his path, 
thereby preventing any unusual sound that might 
warn the lady before she entered. As soon as 
ever that lady entered, Burke fiashed the light on 
her, and at the same time placing his arm around 
her neck from behind, he covered her mouth with 
his hand. In a moment he had securely gagged 
her with a handkerchief and proceeded dexterous- 
ly to bind her hand and foot, which the nature of 
his work as hotel porter and sailor, greatly aided 
him in rapidly completing. Soon Phil Knox and 
Harry Brooks entered the room and as- 
sisted Mr. Burke in carrying the exceedingly 
ponderous body of Madame, bound and gagged, 
and they further helped him to place her 
comfortably upon a bed they discovered in the 
room adjoining. The next thing that would hap- 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS l4l 


pen, they felt convinced, would be that the man 
addressed as Brouget would soon come up stairs in 
search of the missing w’oman. Nor were they 
wrong in their conjectures, for presently they 
heard a voice calling, '‘Madam*e, Madame! Where 
are you? Why do you stay up there? You are 
wanted in the kitchen/’ There being, of course, no 
reply. Monsieur Brouget’s heavy footsteps were 
heard ascending the stairway, muttering to him- 
self as he came up, “The devil take that woman, 
giving me all this trouble, anyway.” He called out 
again, as he neared the top of the stairs, “Ma- 
dame, Madame, where are you?” and opening the 
door, he cautiously peered into the room. In a 
moment he was dragged to the floor, gagged and 
bound. The three men then carried him into an 
adjoining room, and placed him upon a bed there, 
and left him to reflect upon the stupidity of Ma- 
dame. But before doing this, they stripped him 
of his gorgeous livery, which Will Burke then 
hastily donned over his own clothes. 

Burke then made his way down stairs, on a re- 
connoitering expedition, after admonishing his 
companions to remain very quiet upstairs, and 
only to come down when he gave a sharp short 
whistle. 

Burke had no sooner arrived at the bottom of 
the stairs when he heard someone say, “Go, and 
see, Henry, what has become of Brouget and 
Madame.” On hearing this Burke beat a hasty re- 
treat and joined his companions, and as he heard 
Henry ascending the stairs, he called in a gentle 
voice, saying to the man Henry, “Come here, 
Henry, come here. Madame has fainted.” Henry 
hurried upstairs and dashed into the room saying 


142 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


excitedly, “What is the matter, Brouget? What 
has happened to Madame?” 

“Only this,” replied Burke, quickly gagging him, 
whilq his companions seized his arms and legs and 
bore him to the floor. 

“We want you to keep company with Madame 
and Brouget. They say that you are so clever and 
entertaining that they greatly miss you and can- 
not get along without you at all at all, especially 
Madame, and we must oblige a lady, you know,” 
said Burke in his inimitable Irish way. Thus 
Henry was bound and gagged and placed securely 
alongside of Monsieur Brouget, after being 
stripped of his livery. Burke then said, “Here, 
Brooks, you put this on, and if we find another of 
these pretty birds, it will be Phil Knox’s turn to 
don the livery. You boys stay here. I will give you 
the signal when I need you.” With this Will Burke 
cautiously crept down the stairs and entered the 
room adjoining the kitchen, which he carefully 
surveyed. It was empty, but he heard the sounds 
of revelry proceeding from the front of the house; 
and he made his way towards that part of the 
house from which the sounds seemed to come. 
After signalling his companions, he opened the 
door noiselessly, and peered into a large room. 

Bill Burke saw that there was another man in 
livery, and he said to himself, “Phil Knox is sure 
in luck. He will soon have his new and pretty suit 
of clothes.” He further saw, seated around a table, 
George Wilcox, Captain Tom Brosby, Henry Roche- 
cauld, and three other gentlemen, no doubt the 
French officers de Chasseurs. He observed that 
large piles of money lay before George Wilcox and 
Captain Tom, and he correctly surmised that they 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 143 


had been winning heavily. It was necessary on 
that account to act with expedition and dispatch, 
so he returned to the kitchen to join his compan- 
ions, and they waited there the advent of the 
third man in livery — ^nor did they have long to 
wait. The waiter having served the party with 
another bottle of champagne, had withdrawn to the 
kitchen. No sooner was he well in that room, than 
he was seized, gagged, stripped of his livery, and 
bound an^ then carried upstairs and put into an- 
other bed to keep silent company with his silent 
friends. It was Phil Knox’s turn now to don the 
livery, which he did much to the amusement of 
the other two. 

‘T wonder when Monsieur Laudet is going to 
get here,” said Bill Burke. 'Tf he wants any of the^ 
swag, he will have to hurry up.” They held a 
consultation as to their next move, which would 
be the most delicate of all. It was finally decided 
that Harry Brooks, clothed as he was in his new 
livery, should go into the room, get behind his 
Captain, and whisper in his ear, '‘Keep still. Cap- 
tain. Do not move. Pass the word to Wilcox. 
You are both in danger. We are here to protect 
you.” All this Harry Brooks was to do without 
exciting suspicion. After he had communicated 
this warning to his Captain, he was to withdraw, 
and they were all to go in together, disguised in 
their suits of livery. Harry Brooks, having per- 
formed his part with greater ease and success 
than he anticipated, withdrew to the kitchen. The 
three of them then entered the room together, as 
agreed upon. Will Burke, without exciting any 
suspicion, took a position behind the French offi- 
cers, and while filling their glasses gently whis- 


144 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


pered to them, advising them to keep still as they 
were in a dangerous situation but that they were 
protected and would soon be rescued, provided they 
kept still and did not arouse suspicion. Monsieur 
Henry Rochecauld was covered by a revolver by Phil 
Knox. Captain Tom, it can well be imagined, was 
completely at sea with the strange words and 
behavior of his valet, but being a military man 
and used to quick changes, he promptly surmised 
that something very unusual had transpired, and 
as a good soldier obeyed orders. ‘‘Depend upon me. 
WhaPs your game T* whispered the Captain to 
Harry Brooks, and added, “I have already put 
Wilcox on his guard.” 

Will Burke then spoke up: “We are sorry to 
trouble you, gentlemen,” he said, “but you must 
hasten from this house. We have carriages wait- 
ing outside; we must get away as soon as possible. 
We are in a den of thieves.” 

Captain Brosby soon took in the whole situation. 
The French officers were non-plussed, and re- 
mained silent, while Henry Rochecauld tried to 
bluster; but Phil Knox, who had him covered with 
his revolver, said, “Sit still. Don’t be moving. You 
look to me like one of them revenue officers, way 
back in Tennessee, that I used to know, and maybe 
I might take some satisfaction in plugging you on 
that account.” All this, of course, he said in Eng- 
lish, which was unintelligible to Monsieur Henry 
Rochecauld, who gazed at him with fear and 
amazement. As for Wilcox, he did what Brosby 
told him, and remained very still, but completely 
bewildered at these sudden and dramatic events 
that were taking place around him. He could 
hardly believe his eyes, when he saw his servant 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 145 


Phil Knox holding a revolver to the head of Mon- 
sieur Henry Rochecauld. All these events had 
taken place so rapidly and suddenly as to leave 
Monsieur completely befogged. 

Captain Tom then spoke up, his military in- 
stinct of command asserting itself, and addressing 
the French officers said to them, “Tell me your 
losses, gentlemen. We will return you your money. 
There is no time for explanation. Messieurs. Major 
Vernaid, what are your losses? And yours, sir? 
And yours? Ten thousand five hundred francs, did 
you say. Major Vernaid? And yours, you say, are 
ten thousand? And yours, sir, six thousand? That 
makes in all twenty-six thousand five hundred 
francs.’’ 

Captain Brosby then counted out that sum from 
George’s winnings and his own, and, pushing it 
towards the Frenchmen, said, “Do your own di- 
viding. Our witty and amusing friend here, with 
a revolver at his head. Monsieur Henry Roche- 
cauld, gets nothing. His losses and those of Mon- 
sieur Laudet remain with us to do with them 
whatever we want. Their disposition will be de- 
termined later by Mr. Wilcox and myself. Mon- 
sieur Laudet may perhaps later reimburse Mon- 
sieur Rochecauld.” 

The Captain then ordered Harry Brooks to gag 
and securely bind Monsieur Henry Rochecauld, in 
which occupation he was cheerfully assisted by 
Phil Knox, from whose mutterings one could occa- 
sionally catch something about a revenue officer. 

Mr. Will Burke, of his own volition, had gone 
after the carriages. The true situation was made 
known to the three French gentlemen, who were 
profuse with their thanks to Captain Tom and 


146 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


George. Mr. Henry Rochecauld was taken up- 
stairs and deposited upon a bed like the other 
three. Will Burke soon returned with the carriages 
and hurried the party out of the house. Carriage 
lights could now be seen at a distance, which were 
doubtless those of Monsieur Laudet and his pack 
of cut-throats. It would be better for all con- 
cerned, they had concluded, to avoid an encounter 
with the apaches, who were desperadoes of the 
worst and most dangerous type. Captain Tom and 
Mr. George Wilcox and the three French guards- 
men, followed by The Three Musketeers, as Cap- 
tain Thomas Brosby had very appropriately and 
facetiously named Will Burke, Harry Brooks, and 
Phil Knox, made quick exits. All three still wore 
their borrowed liverty so as not to excite the suspi- 
cion of the concierge who looked after the gate. The 
concierge had opened the gate to admti the car- 
riages at the command of Will Burke, whom he 
had taken to be one of the servants of the chateau. 
Getting into their respective carriages without 
any further delay and adventure, the party drove 
rapidly away and passed the carriages bearing 
Laudet and his apaches just a short distance from 
the chateau. 

When Laudet and his apaches arrived at the 
chateau, they were stricken dumb with astonish- 
ment and rage to find conditions as they were. 
The gate keeper could give no intelligent explana- 
tion, except that the three liveried servants and 
the gentlemen had gone away in hired vehicles, 
which he had admitted, he said, into the chateau 
grounds at the behest of one of the liveried serv- 
ants. They found the house silent and apparently 
quite deserted. After a good deal of speculation 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 147 


and conjecture, they finally concluded to search 
the house, as the gate keeper had declared that he 
was convinced that Madame had not accompanied 
the party. 

The astonishment of Laudet can well be im- 
agined when he discovered his friend and co-con- 
spirator, Henry Rochecauld, gagged and bound on 
a bed, as were also Madame and the three serv- 
ants, sans livery. It is hardly necessary to state 
that these four prisoners were more than delight- 
ed to be released from their extremely unpleasant 
situation, to say the least of it. Monsieur Roche- 
cauld, Madame and Brouget, with the other serv- 
ants, were able, between them, to give Laudet a 
fair narrative of what had taken place. It was 
when Rochecauld related what had been done with 
the money that the rage of Laudet was the great- 
est. The apaches threateningly demanded their 
pay, and insisted on holding Laudet to his agree- 
ment. To avoid bringing about a dangerous quar- 
rel with these desperadoes, Laudet had to pay 
them five thousand francs, the amount which they 
had agreed upon. 

Monsieur Laudet found to his great chagrin, not 
to say rage, that he had lost out on every side. 

On their way home, these three musketeers, to 
adopt the name Captain Tom had given them, di- 
vested themselves of their suits of livery, and 
threw them out of the carriage windows for those 
to find who might. 

On arriving at the hotel, a council was held in 
Captain Tom’s room. The Captain had found or- 
ders awaiting him to return to England and rejoin 
his regiment without delay. Under these circum- 
stances the whole party decided to leave that very 


148 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


morning for England. Will Burke, at the urgent 
solicitations of Captain Tom and Harry Brooks, 
had decided to proceed to England with the party, 
and had agreed to enlist in Her Majesty's 110th 
foot regiment, in order to be with his chum, Harry 
Brooks, more especially as the 110th foot regiment 
was likely to be sent out to India on active service. 

George Wilcox and Captain Tom Brosby agreed 
that their winnings on that eventful evening at 
the Chauteau d'Eaulant, in justice to our three 
Musketeers, ought to be made over to them, and 
as these winnings amounted to nearly ten thou- 
sand francs, our three musketeers came out of the 
affray more than amply rewarded, as they were 
most willing to admit. As to the three French 
Guardsmen, they too left Paris to join their regi- 
ment, which at that time was stationed in Algiers. 
They called upon Captain Tom Brosby and Mr. 
George Wilcox before they left for England, and 
Major Vernaid, as the spokesman of his party, 
warmly thanked their good English-speaking 
friends for rescuing them from a very awkward, 
not to say dangerous situation. 

Without further adieu our party set out for 
England and arrived there on scheduled time, and 
Will Burke was duly enlisted at Bath in the 110th 
foot regiment. We shall leave Captain Tom with 
his orderly Harry Brooks and his new recruit 
Will Burke, there. 

Mr. George Wilcox and Phil Knox, with genuine 
regret, bade them a hearty good-by and all man- 
ner of good luck, and proceeded to London as 
George Wilcox wanted to get in touch there with 
his friend Reginald Streetfield. 

We may be sure that Phil Knox was greatly 


THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS 149 


disconcerted at being separated from his two 
chums. “I never would have thought/^ he said to 
Will Burke and Harry Brooks, ‘That the time 
would ever come when I would regret not being 
born a gol-darned Britisher, but believe me, boys, 
this is the one time that I do. Were I a Britisher, 
a fine chance would I now be having of going out 
to India with the boys and seeing some fighting, 
by enlisting in the 110th foot regiment, the same 
as Bill Burke, Anyhow, here is good luck to us, 
boys. You, Bill Burke, and you, Harry Brooks, 
and me, Phil Knox. What is the diff, boys? We 
are all iDred from the same stock. If we only had 
some moonshine now, boys, we would drink to the 
Stars and Stripes of America and to the Union 
Jack of old England, and a last drink, and a good 
one at that, to the health of The Three Mus- 
keteers!* 


CHAPTER VII 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 

Before Mr. George Wilcox left Paris, he had tel- 
egraphed to Reginald to meet him in London, 
which Reginald accordingly did. The two friends 
were delighted to meet again, and Reginald was 
much pleased to see George Wilcox looking so 
well and apparently quite recovered from his re- 
cent illness, and he set himself about to make 
George’s stay in London as pleasurable as possible. 

'T reckon that it will be Tennessee that Mr. 
Reginald will be in before long,” sententiously re- 
marked Phil Knox to George Wilcox one morning. 
‘‘There is many an aching heart that Mr. Reginald 
has left behind him there. My wife, she said to 
me — you see, sir, my wife is quite smart in her 
own way — she said to me, ‘Phil, it is hard on them 
young women of Great Hope and the neighbor- 
hood that a good looking gentleman like Mr. 
Streetfield should come into our dove-cot and 
cause such a fluttering and such a commotion, to 
stay a while, and then go away for keeps.’ ” 

“Shut up, Phil. You are always saying some- 
thing absurd and extremely stupid. Mr. Streetfleld 
never did anything of the kind. Besides, it is a 
long time since he visited America,” replied George 
Wilcox in rather a short manner. 

“I am just handing out to you, Mr. George, 
what all the women folk are saying down our 
way,” returned Phil apologetically. 

“Mr. Streetfleld, I do not think for a moment, 
would look to America for a wife, and especially 
to Great Hope,” said George decisively. 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 151 


‘'Well, sir, he may go farther and fare worse,” 
rejoined Phil, to get in the last word. 

At this moment Reginald joined them, and the 
interesting controversy ceased, and Phil withdrew. 

When alone George Wilcox related to Reginald 
the conversation that had taken place between 
Phil and himself. 

“What rot that man does sometimes talk, Wil- 
cox,” said Reginald on hearing this. 

“Nevertheless, Reginald,” said George banter- 
ingly, “there is a germ of truth in what Phil says. 
Take my sister Grace, for instance. You have 
certainly made an impression upon her, and you 
remember my cousin, Mary MacKenneth Nobody 
interests her any more, not even my worthy self, 
since your advent to and departure from Great 
Hope.” 

“Tut, tut, George. You are altogether incorri- 
gible. I am sure that I am quite innocent of in- 
tentionally leaving any such impression behind me, 
particularly in regard to your sister Grace and 
your, cousin Mary. Please do not draw any fur- 
ther upon your imagination and stop your ba di- 
nage.” 

“Phil Knox hints the same thing, Reginald, and 
he avows that he has the authority of his wife for 
what he says, and I have learned to rely a great 
deal upon what Mr. Phil Knox says,” retorted his 
friend jestingly. 

“To change the subject, George,” said Reginald, 
“I want you to come with me to see my cousin. 
Lady Blanche Travelyan. She is the widow of Sir 
Henry Travelyan, an excellent woman. She invar- 
iably takes it amiss should I be in London and not 
call upon her. We can call together at four o'clock 


152 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


this afternoon, if you are at liberty. In the mean- 
while we can go to my club for luncheon and af- 
terward take a cab to the war office. I have some 
little matters to attend to there, which will not 
delay me very long, and then, by the time we get 
dressed, it will be close upon four o’clock. Lady 
Travelyan lives in Grosvenor Square. We shall 
just about make it.” 

Lady Blanche Travelyan was a Streetfield be- 
fore she married Henry Travelyan, a rising young 
man in the Indian Civil Service. Although very 
wealthy, Henry Travelyan had chosen a hard and 
highly responsible career. He had early competed 
in the Indian Civil Service examinations, and had 
won a high position. On one of his vacations spent 
in England he had met and succumbed to the 
charms of Blanche Streetfield. Mr. Travelyan took 
his wife out with him to India, being at that time 
the viceregal representative at the court of an 
Indian prince, and Lady Travelyan found herself, 
on arriving there, in the exalted and enviable po- 
sition of being accorded the precedent of all the 
English ladies in the province, wives of British 
officials or otherwise. Lady Travelyan’s beauty and 
the charm and graciousness of her manner soon 
made her a favorite in the circle in which she 
lived and had her being. 

Mr. Henry Travelyan rose rapidly in the Service, 
for he was a man of indefatigable industry and 
integrity, and was frequently intrusted with deli- 
cate, important and difficult missions by the Gov- 
ernment, and as a recognition of his valuable serv- 
ices, the honor of knighthood was conferred upon 
him. He was created a Knight Commander of the 
Star of India. Although several children were 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 153 


born to Sir Henry and Lady Travelyan, one alone 
survived to reach maturity, and that was Amelia, 
who at the present time was a young lady of eight- 
een summers. Sir Henry Travelyan died practic- 
ally a young man, a martyr to his duty, when 
Amelia was in her tenth year. Lady Travelyan 
returned with her daughter to England. She pur- 
chased a house in Grosvenor Square, London, 
where she had since resided. 

Miss Amelia Travelyan was a pupil of Miss Ve- 
ronica Dieulafoi. It so happened that on the eve- 
ning of this very day. Lady Travelyan was giving 
a party at which Miss Veronica Dieulafoi was 
engaged to play and sing. Mr. Reginald Street- 
field and Mr. George Wilcox duly called and Lady 
Travelyan was more than delighted at being suc- 
cessful in extracting a promise from her cousin 
and his companion, to be present at her party that 
same evening. 

Lady Travelyan was one of those little women 
who seem to have embodied in their little selves 
all the charm and grace of their sex. She was still 
a beautiful woman, and just a little past forty. 
Amelia, her daughter, was almost the counterpart 
of her mother and possessed to a large degree her 
grace and charm. Amelia was slightly larger in 
figure, but otherwise they were very much alike. 

Amelia was delighted to see her cousin Regi- 
nald Streetfield, and although a few years younger, 
they had invariably chummed when children to- 
gether, for she had often spent her holidays with 
her mother at Streetfield Manor. Since then 
Amelia and Reginald had remained warm and 
close friends. 

‘‘I am so glad to see you again, Reggie,” said 


154 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Amelia. ‘T was just telling mama the other day 
that I was beginning to forget what you ever 
looked like. It is so long, Reginald, since I last 
saw you, and you have been to the States and 
back again, and now that I have found you, I am 
going to keep you all to myself until you have 
promised to tell me all about your strange adven- 
tures in that wonderful country.” Nor would 
Amelia rest satisfied until her cousin had faith- 
fully promised to devote the necessary time to re- 
late to her his experiences in America. 

Lady Travelyan was famous for her parties, and 
it was with much pleasure that Reginald and 
George promised to be present that evening. After 
having spent some little time at the Travelyans, 
the two friends took their departure promising to 
return in good time for the party. You may be 
sure that when the hour of eight arrived, Reginald 
and George were promptly there, and they were 
immediately ushered into the smiling and happy 
presence of Lady Travelyan, and of her by no 
means less amiable daughter. 

“Come Reginald,” said Amelia, as her greetings 
were concluded. “Come with me. I will escort you 
to the most lovely creature you have ever seen in 
all your ilfe, Miss Veronica Dieulafoi.” 

Away went Amelia, with Reginald in her wake, 
in search of Miss^ Veronica Dieulafoi, who at that 
time was sitting alone in one of the antique ante- 
chambers of which Lady Travelyan was inordi- 
nately proud. There Veronica sat toying idly with 
some beautiful shrubbery, evidently deeply inter- 
ested in her occupation. So intense, indeed, was 
her pre-occupation, that she did not observe the 
approach of Amelia with Reginald until they were 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 155 


standing almost before her. She quickly glanced 
up and said, ‘'Mademoiselle Travelyan has given 
me quite a start.” 

“Comme est vous, Mademoiselle Dieulafoi, tu es 
charmante, ce soir. Ce gentilhomme, Monsieur 
Reginald Streetfield est mon cousin. Reggie, this 
is my friend and wonderful instructor. Miss Ve- 
ronica Dieulafoi,” said Amelia. 

“Reginald bowed deeply to Veronica as she arose 
and courtesied to him in the prettiest manner pos- 
sible, saying to him as she did so: “I have much 
pleasure in meeting you, Mr. Streetfield.” She said 
this in the most dulcet voice that Reginald 
thought he ever heard, and Miss Dieulafoi added, 
“Miss Amelia promised me a surprise, this after- 
noon, Monsieur. You are the surprise, are you 
not ?” 

“Oh, you ungrateful girl. How dare you give 
me away like that?” interposed Amelia jestingly. 

“Mademoiselle's secret is too large to keep. Do 
you not think that you are too weighty and too 
great as a secret to keep very long?” said Veroni- 
ca humorously addressing Reginald. 

“On that point I certainly agree with you. Miss 
Dieulafoi,” said Reginald, laughing heartily at this 
very skillful play of words, and he added, “But you 
were a surprise to me as well. You must concede. 
Miss Dieulafoi, that my clever cousin Amelia has 
worked the surprise both ways. I was to meet the 
most charming young lady in the whole wide 
world, and she has certainly been as true as a dial 
to the sun, and has completely fulfilled her 
promise.” 

“Monsieur is clever at paying compliments. Let 
me say, however, that I was to meet a very hand- 


156 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


some young gentleman, and it is not for me to say 
whether Mademoiselle Amelia has kept faith with 
me or not,” said Veronica. 

"1 will answer for Amelia, Miss Dieulafoi, and 
say that she has signally failed,” rejoined Regi- 
nald. 

''Angling for compliments, are you, Reginald? 
Let me warn you that you are fishing in very 
shallow waters, so far as Mademoiselle Dieulafoi 
and I are concerned,” said Amelia in a bantering 
tone. 

"A fig for your compliments, Amelia. You know 
that you cannot, try as you may, make me con- 
ceited,” returned Reginald. 

"All the good looking gentlemen say that. Oh, 
there! Now! What have I done? I have actually 
admitted that you are good looking, Mr. Street- 
field! That is what we used to call when I was 
studying Latin, a lapsus linguae,'' said Veronica 
jestingly. 

"I will take that compliment at lapsed value,” 
replied Reginald, now thoroughly interested in his 
cousin's vivacious friend, and attempting a play of 
words on his own account. 

"Now you two get to know each other while I go 
in search of Mr. Wilcox. I want him to meet with 
'the surprise' too,” said Amelia laughingly. 

"You said nothing to me of two surprises, 
Amelia,” retorted Veronica. 

"I did not want to unnecessarily alarm you, Ve- 
ronica. You know the old adage, 'one thing at a 
time,' ” answered Amelia. 

"I will endeavor to survive if the second sur- 
prise is not as weighty and great as the first,” re- 
plied Veronica, archly observing Reginald. 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 157 


“This big surprise can readily disappear, if it 
will cause Miss Dieulafoi less embarrassment,” 
said Reginald. 

“Pray Monsieur must not go away. I may need 
his assistance, judging from the dire effects of my 
first surprise,” said Veronica with such naivete, 
and with such an amusing expression, and so good- 
humoredly that Reginald felt himself quite out- 
classed in repartee, and he prudently decided to 
steer his ship on another tack, and so adopted a 
more serious vein of conversation. They fell to 
discoursing on many matters of a more or less 
general nature, and Reginald was surprised and 
gratified to find how wide a range of subjects 
Veronica intelligently covered, and how really re- 
markable was her understanding of men and 
things. 

We may as well confess that Reginald stood in 
great danger of falling a victim to the great 
charm of her beauty, her manner, and her con- 
versation. Never before had Reginald felt so 
keenly interested in one of the gentler sex. As to 
Veronica, we have also to admit that Reginald 
proved to be unusually interesting to her. His 
splendid form, set out to the best advantage by his 
London tailor, and his handsome face, with Its 
clear, sincere, and ingenuous expression, together 
with his unaffected manner, and his apparently 
natural gift of conversation — all these had had 
their effect upon Veronica, and she experienced a 
distinct sense of regret at the ending of their 
interesting tete-a-tete. 

Amelia came up v/ith George Wilcox and intro- 
duced him to Veronica. The four were soon en- 
gaged in an animated conversation. After a little 


158 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


while, they decided upon repairing to the drawing 
room, where they were soon lost in the brilliant 
throng. 

In due course dinner was announced, and Regi- 
nald, to his great delight, was told off to escort 
Veronica into dinner. Lady Travelyan was noted 
for the sumptuousness, the heartiness, and the 
brilliancy of her dinner parties. The magnificently 
lighted dining room, with its gorgeously and taste- 
fully decorated table, set out to its best advantage 
with massive silver plate, all surrounded with a 
happy and brilliant assembly, made a vivid, an im- 
posing and indelible picture. 

The cordiality and affability of the hostess 
seemed infectious, for never was there a more joy- 
ous and festive an assembly. Lady Travelyan’s 
entertainments were greatly sought after, and the 
generally acknowledged excellency of her viands 
and wines was a matter of comment among the 
her friends. She never, therefore, experienced any 
difficulty in having her invitations accepted. 

Dinner over, those gentlemen who smoked re- 
paired to the smoking room for their cigars and 
for more wine, if they felt so disposed, while the 
ladies adjourned to the drawing room. Reginald 
went to the smoking room for a whiff. He did not, 
however, wish to be very long absent from the 
drawing room as he wanted to hear Veronica play 
and sing. So he repaired to the drawing room in 
a little while and secured a seat by his cousin. 
Lady Travelyan. 

‘'Well, Reggie,” she said, "You will hear a most 
beautiful voice when you hear Miss Dieulafoi sing. 
I have noticed you, you naughty boy. You have 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 159 

been giving Miss Dieualfoi most of your atten- 
tion.” 

‘Tou do not blame me, do you Blanche?” asked 
Reginald. 

'‘Blame you? You are certainly to be envied, 
monopolizing all the evening, as indeed you have, 
the attention of that most beautiful creature. She 
is next on the programme. Be prepared to escort 
her to the piano like a chivalrous knight.” 

It is hardly necessary to remark that Reginald 
was only too willing to carry out his cousin’s be- 
hest, so that when the time arrived for the next 
number, Reginald, with the utmost ease and 
grace, escorted the lovely Veronica to the piano. 
And as for Veronica, she certainly did look very 
lovely indeed, dressed in red and black, with a 
cluster of red roses in her hair, all of which 
seemed to enhance the natural brilliancy of her 
complexion. 

She was no sooner seated at the piano, with 
Reginald standing to one side, to turn over the 
leaves of her music, when her fingers passed deftly 
over the keys, and, as she continued, it was ap- 
parent to everybody that she possessed perfect 
mastery over the instrument, now breaking into 
a gentle soft rhythm, like the babbling of a stream, 
and then again, into the restless and tumultuous 
roar of the ocean, angry and passionate. Again 
the notes would simulate the quick, tense, words 
of command, and then they finally resembled the 
tearing and rending sounds of a soul breaking its 
shackles, as it were, hazarding all in one mighty 
effort to be free. 

All this Veronica caused the really splendid in- 
strument to say, as if, indeed, it were human. She 


160 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


held her audience in breathless attention, and 
when she finally stopped, it seemed as if a whole 
life’s tale had been unfolded in a few moments. 
After the hearty applause had died away, Veronica 
chose one of those soul-stirring French revolution- 
ary songs. 

To hear her sing was indeed to forget that she 
had ever played. Her dulcet notes seemed to strike 
every chord of the heart, and to bring the emo- 
tions thus set free into perfect unison with the 
notes of the singer. Some of the audience uncon- 
sciously half arose from their seats, as though 
drawn by a powerful magnet. 

Suddenly her great song comes to an end, fol- 
lowed by a short intense period of silence, and 
several distinct sighs are audible, as if the pro- 
longed and exquisite pleasure was altogether too 
much for the human soul. 

In an ecstasy of delight, a rapturous encore 
broke forth, and again she gave utterance to those 
exquisite sounds; but on this occasion Veronica 
had chosen a light and airy song, which lasted but 
a few minutes. She arose and bowed gracefully to 
the audience in acknowledgement of their evident 
appreciation. Even Lady Travelyan’s party had to 
come to an end, but not, however, before Reginald 
had requested and obtained permission from Ve- 
ronica to call upon her. 

The next day but one Reginald called upon Mon- 
sieur and Madame Dieulafoi. He was received 
most cordially by the old Bonapartist and his wife. 
Monsieur Dieulafoi had undergone a great change 
since the departure of his daughter Josephine. He 
had become silent, brooding, and at times morose, 
but he would, on occasion, pull himself together. 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 161 


and would then appear in all his old-time chivalry 
and punctilious courtesy. 

To Reginald, it did not appear at all, that the 
rugged Frenchman was under the blight of a great 
sorrow, a sorrow which) dissipated his energies 
and depressed his spirits. Madame Dieulafoi, on 
her part, was cordiality itself to the young Eng- 
lishman. Perhaps she divined with true motherly 
instinct that the handsome young English gentle- 
man^s visit had some connection with an admira- 
tion for her beautiful and accomplished daughter. 

Monsieur Dieulafoi, with true French hospital- 
ity, asked the young Englishman to dinner next 
day. You may be sure that Reginald accepted, and 
that he was punctual and prompt. He passed an 
extremely pleasant evening with the highly inter- 
esting Bonapartists, greatly enhanced by the pres- 
ence of Veronica. Of course he had to listen to 
almost interminable anecdotes and panegyrics of 
the great Napoleon, and of the exiled Emperor 
and his consort while they lived at Farmborough, 
England. It was fortunate for Reginald that he 
was particularly conversant with the Napoleonic 
story; and he was able to converse intelligently 
with Monsieur and Madame Dieulafoi, much to the 
edification of that worthy couple, nor did Veronica 
fail to join in the spirited conversation. 

As a diversion, Reginald asked Veronica to sing 
the same spirited song she sang at Lady Travel- 
yan’s party. This she did, much to the enthusiasm 
and delight of her father. She also sang several 
of his favorite songs, but the respite did not last 
long for Monsieur Dieulafoi very adroitly veered 
the conversation back to Napoleon by asking Reg- 
inald to listen to some of his own personal ex- 


162 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ploits, which in all due courtesy Reginald felt con- 
strained to do, and before the eveening was over 
Reginald found himself in high favor with Mon- 
sieur and Madame Dieulafoi, and very much in 
love — he had to confess to himself — with Veror^i- 
ca. It was clearly apparent to him that Veronica 
was by no means indifferent to his advances, and 
almost insensibly an understanding seemed to have 
taken place between them. On departing he was 
earnestly enjoined by the hospitable Frenchman 
not to allow too great a time to elapse before he 
called again and partook of their hospitality. 

Before leaving, Reginald had managed to glean 
from Veronica the day and time she would next 
be at Lady Travelyan’s, and he whispered to her 
that he would contrive to see her there. So he 
did, again and again, and it did not take a very 
observant mind to see that Reginald and Veronica 
were very much in love with each other, and it 
needed only an expression on his part to bring the 
matter to a definite conclusion. 

This is just what occurred a few days later at 
Lady Travelyans, 

That good and kindly dame had arranged with 
Amelia that Veronica and Reginald were to be left 
together, as if by an inadvertence. Lady Travel- 
yan was to leave an excuse for Veronica that 
Amelia and herself had gone out for an hour or so, 
to please await their return. They knew, of course, 
that Reginald would be there anon, and surmised 
that an hour or two ought to suffice to bring these 
two souls together, with so much in them that was 
mutually attractive. Nor did Lady Travelyan mis- 
judge the time and occasion. 

Veronica had no sooner arrived when she was 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 163 


given Lady Travelyan's message. She repaired to 
the music room to pass away the time by playing 
the piano, and while awaiting the return of Amelia 
and her mother, so engrossed, indeed, did she be- 
come in her occupation that she did not notice that 
Reginald had come into the room and was stand- 
ing directly behind her. She became conscious, 
however, that there was somebody else in the room 
besides herself, and turning around, she made an 
exclamation of surprise which ill-concealed her 
gratification. As for Reginald, he was too full for 
expression, so, acting on impulse, he gently seized 
both her hands as Veronica rose to greet him and, 
although she made a feeble attempt — ^but oh ! 
such a very feeble one — to withdraw her hands 
from his, he held them more firmly, and gently 
drawing her to himself Reginald said: ‘'Veronica, 
I want to tell you how much I love you, and I 
want yop, Veronica, all to myself, to be my own 
sweet wife.” He clasped the now willing girl in his 
arms, and impulsively showered kisses upon her. 
All Veronica could say was, “Oh, Reginald, you 
have made me so happy!” 

The old, old story was told over again, each one 
told the story to the other, and then, in a little 
while, when those exquisite, happy moments had 
passed, those exquisite moments, when the souls of 
a human pair filled with the most hallowed and 
tenderest feelings for each other, are irresistibly 
drawn, one to the other, soul to soul and heart to 
heart, forms, as it were, an indestructible amal- 
gam of all that is highest and purest in human 
nature. 

These moments being past, Reginald and Veron- 
ica planned as to how they were to impart the 


164 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


good news to Lady Travelyan. Reginald then 
told her all about his beautiful and adorable mother 
and his greatly beloved and noble father, and how 
he purposed going to them, and telling them all 
about his wonderful and good fortune, and how 
overjoyed they would be, in this, his newly found 
happiness; and Veronica, on her part, assured 
Reginald that her parents would gladly assent to 
her marriage. They agreed that when Lady Trav- 
elyan should come in Reginald was to beg oif 
Amelia's lesson, and that they would then go to 
her parents, and Reginald was to ask the good 
old ^napartist pair for the hand of Veronica. 

The minutes sped only too rapidly for this happy 
couple, and it was not long before Lady Travelyan 
and Amelia returned home. They did not seem to 
be in the least surprised to see Reginald, 
who greeted his cousin perhaps a little more 
affectionately than was usual with him, which in- 
cident was not overlooked by Lady Travelyan. She 
also observed that Veronica appeared much em- 
barrassed, so with her usual good-natured artful 
ness, she said, ‘‘Why, what is the matter, Veron- 
ica? Are you not well this morning?" 

This gave Reginald the opportunity that Lady 
Travelyan had designed that he should have to 
make his confession, which he did in his usual 
manly and straight-forward way and, placing his 
arm around Veronica, Reginald said, “Veronica 
has promised to marry me, Blanche and Amelia. 
Do you not think that I am the luckiest man in 
the world?" 

“Well! well! Reggie! and I include you in this, 
too, Veronica. What does this all mean? So the 
mice were playing while the cats were out? Come 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 165 


here, you dear children, both of you, and let me 
kiss you/' And, suiting the action to the word. 
Lady Travelyan threw one of her arms around 
Veronica and affectionately kissed her, and with 
the other around Reginald's neck, she drew him 
towards herself and affectionately kissed him too. 

“Amelia, it is your turn to kiss the happy cou- 
ple," said Lady Travelyan, as Reginald and Ver- 
onica stood by looking very self-conscious. 

“Oh, Veronica," said Amelia. “I am so glad to 
hear it, dear. You have a very fine, noble fellow 
in Reginald. We were playmates together, and I 
ought to know, and as for you, Reginald, you 
wicked man, you have stolen my teacher, but 
I am going to forgive you for that. I am so glad 
and so happy! I really do not know what to say. 
Here, let me kiss you both." Amelia then fol- 
lowed her mother's example, and heartily kissed 
both of them in exactly the same manner as her 
mother had done a moment before. 

Dear Amelia ! She was indeed her mother's 
girl — kindly, affectionate, unselfish, and generous 
to a fault. Although she greatly admired Regi- 
nald, and would have gladly taken him herself, 
had he asked her to marry him, yet she never felt 
a single pang of regret, but simply rejoiced with 
both of them in their good fortune — Reginald, for 
obtaining so lovely and accomplished a girl, and 
Veronica, for winning the love of so noble a fel- 
low as Reginald. 

Both Amelia and her mother were typical of 
that very large number of ingenuous, generous, 
sincere, and affectionate natures that one so often 
meets with in the womanhood of England. 

Of course Amelia did not take her lesson. The 


166 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 

happy couple were to proceed immediately to the 
parents of Veronica, and should they prove to be 
obdurate, then both Lady Travelyan and Amelia 
were to descend upon them and beard the lion and 
the lioness in their den. Veronica, however, as- 
sured Lady Travelyan that her parents would not 
in the least way object, but would, on the other 
hand, welcome her good fortune in securing 
Reginald. 

The two lovers then bade their kind hostesses 
a fond adieu and wended their way to the Dieula- 
foi residence. On arriving there Veronica, taking 
the hand of Reginald, led him into the drawing 
room, . calling aloud to her mother at the same 
time, “Come, mother, come mother. Come soon. 
I have some good fortune to tell you.” As Madame 
Dieulafoi hastened into the room, and even before 
she had been given time to greet Reginald, Ver- 
onica, who could not contain herself any longer, 
threw her arms around her mother and burst into 
tears. 

“Come child, come child, tell me what it is,” 
said Madame Dieulafoi, looking inquiringly from 
her daughter to Reginald, and from Reginald to 
her daughter. 

Reginald felt constrained to say, “Madame, I 
have — .” He did not get any further for Veronica 
interposed. 

“Please, dear Reginald, I want to be the first 
to tell my mother. Mother darling, I have prom- 
ised to marry Mr. Streetfield,” and, leaving her 
mother's arms, she threw herself into those of 
Reginald. 

“You poor, dear girl,” said her mother, half 
crying and half laughing, “is that the reason why 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 167 


you called out so hurriedly to me. You wanted 
your mother, of course, to come to you. My darl- 
ing child. My prayer is, dear, that you will both 
be extremely happy,’’ and addressing Reginald, 
she said, “My Veronica deserves a good man, sir. 
Any unkindness from you would break her gentle 
heart.” 

“You may rest perfectly sure, Madame Dieula- 
foi, that I will always protect and cherish her. 
Veronica is very, very dear to me,” said Reginald 
with deep emotion. 

“I know you will, I know you will, dear, good, 
kind sir. I must call my husband. He was saying 
to me only this morning, Mr. Streetfield, what a 
fine, noble, young man you appeared to be, and 
what a comfort it would be to all of us if you 
looked with favor upon our Veronica. 

Just then pere Dieulafoi came in upon the party, 
and in a few hurried words, Madame Dieulafoi im- 
parted to him all the news. 

“Of course, of course, I am glad to hear it, dear 
wife,” and, turning to Reginald, he said, “Veron- 
ica, sir, is deserving of a good man, and I told my 
wife only this morning that I knew you were a 
good honest man. I know not what your posses- 
sions may be, but I am assured of this, that you 
would not ask a woman to be your wife unless you 
were well able to suitably support and keep her. 
Beyond that I care not how little or how much 
you have. Please place your hand in mine, sir. 
You are to be our son in future. We were not 
blessed with a son. Come near to me, my children, 
and let the blessings of a father rest upon you.” 
The good and pious Huguenot then caused Reginald 
and Veronica to kneel before him and, placing a 


168 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


hand upon each of their heads, he said reverently, 
and with deep emotion, ‘‘Father in Heaven, per- 
mit, I beseech Thee, the blessings of an earthly 
father to rest upon these, thy children, through the 
love of our Savior, Amen — Now, children, stand 
up, and let me kiss both of you/' And he kissed 
them both on both cheeks, after the manner of the 
French. 

These happy lovers spent the next few days 
making, oh, so many plans for the future. George 
Wilcox sometimes accompanied them, to prevent 
Reginald, he said, from becoming too demonstra- 
tive in public. Inasmuch as Reginald had elected 
to choose a nearer and a dearer comrade than him- 
self — on these grounds — George Wilcox said he 
based his excuses for occasionally obtruding him- 
self upon their company. 

Matters ran along with these lovers as such 
matters generally do under similar circumstances. 
Reginald had not written home and his parents 
had not yet been informed of his engagement. He 
had purposed from the beginning to carry the 
news himself to his devoted parents, and so, pre- 
vailing upon George Wilcox to accompany him, Reg- 
inald and George both left for a visit to Streetfield 
Manor. 

Lady Streetfield and her husband were glad to 
see Mr. George Wilcox again. He had always been 
a favorite with them, and the strong friendship 
that had grown up between Reginald and George 
Wilcox was a matter of gratification to both of 
them, but a greater surprise and delight was still 
in store for Sir William and Lady Streetfield. 
Reginald, taking his parents into the library, re- 
lated to them all that had recently happened, and 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 169 


earnestly asked their approval of his engagement. 
Reginald also related to his parents the circum- 
stances and causes of the Dieulafois’ exile in Eng- 
land. Naturally Reginald rapturously dwelt upon 
the beauty of Veronica, her high accomplishments, 
and her wonderful and charming personality. 

Sir William and Lady Streetfield listened with 
intense and loving interest to Reginald, and they 
rejoiced with him on his good fortune and heartily 
commended him on making so wise a choice. 

Dear Lady Streetfield! She was overcome by the 
suddenness of the announcement, and her heart 
already yearned for Veronica. Was not Veronica 
Dieulafoi, indeed, the woman who was going to 
make her Reginald happy? The one to reign in 
her place when Reginald came into the title and 
the estates of the Streetfields? Was not Veronica 
Dieulafoi the one who was destined to fill the old 
Manor House with the laughing voices of romping 
children ? All these thoughts, though perhaps 
tinged with sadness, passed through her mind and 
gladdened her heart. It was only when Lady 
Streetfield gazed upon the photograph of the 
lovely Veronica that her emotions entirely over- 
came her. A more beautiful human creature she 
had seldom seen, and she enthusiastically congrat- 
ulated Reginald again upon his good fortune as 
she fondly caressed him. Was he not the only 
child she had ever known? All his past came up 
vividly before her; how she had first accompanied 
him to the parish Sabbath School, when he was 
but a little fellow, and she recalled also the solici- 
tous kindness of the good Dr. Sharpe; and before 
her came vividly also the day that he was con- 
firmed into the church of his fathers, and had 


170 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


taken his first Communion, and how she had 
longed then and had fervently prayed like Sam- 
ueFs mother of old, and had asked the Father of 
All to take into his loving care this little life en- 
trusted to her keeping, and how she had prayed 
for strength and guidance to perform the full 
measure of her duty towards Reginald. Then be- 
fore her appeared so vividly those stated periods 
when Reginald would accompany his father and 
herself to the Lord's table to partake of His Sup- 
per, and she prayed that now that Reginald had 
taken this momentous step in his life, for the 
same guidance and care of him through all his 
future years. And she further prayed for strength 
and humility to reconcile herself to her new duties 
of self-abnegation which must necessarily follow 
upon her son taking this important step in life. 
Dear, gentle Lady Streetfield! You have surely 
vindicated the saying that women are but angels 
on earth, something connecting the divine with 
the human. 

As for Sir William, he was overjoyed to think 
that perhaps now he would be permitted to see 
some of his grandchildren. He had been far from 
a well man for the last few months and he had a 
passionate desire that his son should wed, but 
fatherlike, he was diffident to tell his son of that 
wish. But now his desire was to be fulfilled, on his 
son's own volition and initiative, and this was, in 
a double sense, a matter of gratification to him. 
Heartily did he take his son's hand again and 
again, congratulating him upon his good fortune, 
and he said that he had only one request to make 
of Reginald, and that was, that he would not un- 
duly postpone his marriage. 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 171 


Lady Streetfield had been very anxious over the 
health of her husband for some time past, and she 
felt instinctively some apprehension when Sir Wil- 
liam appeared almost insistent upon an early mar- 
riage, and she could not refrain from showing her 
fears. 

‘‘Come, come, dear Dora,” Sir William said to 
her, “It is not as bad as you imagine. We have 
been spared to each other many years, dear, and 
it is only right that we should take cognizance of 
the flight of time, and make provisions for the 
future.” And, taking Lady Streetfield in his arms, 
he affectionately soothed and caressed her. And 
he further added, “Come, dear heart, a true 
mother have you been to our boy, and a noble, 
gentle wife have you been to me. May God still 
guide and guard and bless you through all your 
future years. You must cheer up and dry those 
tears, and take a more cheery view of matters.” 
And then. Sir William, assuming a hearty tone, 
said, “We must go to London and call upon Ve- 
ronica and her parents, and we must ask the good 
Frenchman and his wife to Streetfield, and we 
must also urge their consent to an early marriage 
of their daughter to our son. Here comes George 
Wilcox. I must drink with him to the future 
Master and Mistress of Streetfield Manor. Tell 
James, dear, to bring in the good cheer.” 

James soon appeared with the cheer, and all 
drank to the health and the happiness of the fu- 
ture Master and Mistress of Streetfield. Then they 
drank to the health of one another, and a warm 
glow of happiness spread over the party, a glow 
that drove away every sense of the gloom that had 


172 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


threatened to overshadow Sir William and Lady 
Streetfield. 

After some conversation, it was agreed that Sir 
William and Lady Streetfield were to leave for 
London next day to pay their respects to the par- 
ents of their future daughter-in-law, and also to 
make such necessary provision for the upkeep of 
their son^s future establishment in a position wor- 
thy of the Streetfields and as the son of a British 
baronet. All these matters were satisfactorily ar- 
ranged and an early date agreed upon for the 
marriage. 

Reginald had prevailed upon George Wilcox .to 
postpone his journey to Tennessee until after the 
wedding, nor did he fail to inform his step- 
uncle, (Captain Brosby) of his approaching nup- 
tials, and he urged upon the captain to come over 
to Streetfield and spend some days with him there, 
and this the good captain hastened to do. 

It is well to say here that Monsieur Dieulafoi 
had at this time exacted from Veronica a reitera- 
tion of her vow to keep silence in regard to the 
existence of Josephine and her unfortunate mar- 
riage. Thus it was that Reginald was kept in com- 
plete ignorance of the existence of Josephine. 
Veronica resented and rebelled against this re- 
striction being placed upon her by her father, as 
indicating a want of confidence in her husband, 
besides it savored too much of deceit; but, Veron- 
ica, knowing her father’s temperament as she did, 
justified herself in this apparent deception and in 
this conspiracy of silence, as she indeed regarded 
it, by the consciousness that she was only obeying 
the stern commands of her devoted parents. Ve- 
ronica could not, however, divest herself of a feel- 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 173 


ing of uneasiness in keeping this knowledge from 
Reginald. She argued that if Reginald should 
inadvertently discover the existence of Josephine, 
he would not, on that account censure her, but 
rather would he respect her position in the mat- 
ter, and the inviolability of the stringent oath ex- 
acted from her by her father at the time of Jose- 
phine’s departure and subsequent marriage to 
Monsieur Laudet. 

Mr. Henry Oglesby had recently returned with 
his bride. He had long remained a bachelor, but 
having succeeded to the estates of his father, he 
had recently married an estimable and accom- 
plished lady of rank, and had forgotten all about 
his early infatuation for the beautiful Dora Bros- 
by. Mr. Henry Oglesby had from the first taken a 
kindly interest in young Reginald, and had 
watched his growth from boyhood into manhood, 
and now that he learned that he was soon to be 
married, he expressed a desire to help in any way 
possible in arranging matters pertaining to the 
coming event. 

Thus there happened to be gathered at Street- 
field Manor at this time Captain Tom Brosby, Mr. 
George Wilcox, Mr. Edward Oglesby, and Sir Regi- 
nald. This quartet spent many a happy hour to- 
gether in the fields and in other sports so keenly 
indulged in by and so dear to the English country 
gentleman. Reginald of course had to make fre- 
quent journeys to London to see Veronica, and he 
enlisted the good services of Lady Travelyan and 
Amelia in Veronica’s behalf, and these good ladies 
did everything in their power to lighten the bur- 
den of Veronica’s preparations for her coming 
nuptials. 


174 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Monsieur Dieulafoi and Madame had, upon the 
urgent solicitation of Sir William and Lady Street- 
field, consented to their daughter being married at 
the old parish church at Streetfield, in which had 
taken place the christening of Reginald. A date 
was set, a month ahead, for the wedding. It 
was Sir William’s desire that his son’s marriage 
should take place in ye good olde time fes- 
tivities, and great preparations were made to- 
ward that end. The whole neighborhood was to 
participate and the festivities and fetes were 
to continue for three days. The county gentry 
as well as the tenantry, were to be entertained. 
Lady Streetfield, greatly aided by Reginald, had 
induced George Wilcox to urge upon his parents 
and his sister Miss Grace to attend the wed- 
ding, and particularly reminded them that they 
should on no account fail to bring with them 
Mr. Silas Thompson, to whom Reginald had al- 
ready written. Thus after a series of cablegrams 
to and from America, and much to the delight of 
George and Reginald, the folks in Tennessee ac- 
cepted the invitation, and they made arrange- 
ments to leave immediately for England, to be in 
ample time for the approaching marriage. 

George Wilcox had taken with him his personal 
attendant, Phil Knox, and Captain Tom also had 
with him Harry Brooks, and now that these two 
of our three musketeers were together, nothing 
would satisfy them but that they should prevail 
upon Mr. George Wilcox and Captain Tom to urge 
upon Reginald his consent to having Will Burke 
join them there. In order, as they solemnly as- 
severated, to avert from Mr, Wilcox, Captain 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 175 

Brosby, and Reginald, every and any unlocked for 
calamity. 

Now Phil Knox, Harry Brooks and Will Burke 
had faithfully kept their promise not to breathe a 
word to anybody of what had taken place at the 
Chateau d^Eaulant, on that memorable night when 
our three musketeers so dexterously extricated 
Captain Tom and George Wilcox from their very 
unenviable position, and, as a recognition of their 
faithful adherence to that promise, both Captain 
Tom and George asked and obtained the permis- 
sion of Reginald to have Will Burke come to 
Streetfield, and Captain Brosby having duly ar- 
ranged for the leave of absence of private William 
Burke, that gentleman joined his companions at 
Streetfield Manor, completing, as Phil Knox fa- 
cetiously put it, the roster of the three musket- 
eers. These three friends assumed such an air of 
mystery that the servants of Streetfield Manor 
began to regard them in the light of some very 
superior and highly favored beings, and no less 
than three of the younger male servants of the 
Manor promptly offered themselves to Captain 
Tom for enlistment into Her Majesty^s 110th foot 
regiment, and this, be it said here, was success- 
fully carried out after the wedding festivities 
were over. 

Monsieur and Madame Dieulafoi, with Veronica, 
had arrived, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Oglesby 
had insisted, as a matter of personal privilege, that 
they stay with them until the wedding day. This 
being a most excellent and conventional arrange- 
ment, the kindness of the Oglesbys was gladly 
and graciously accepted by the Dieulafois. Thus 
did Monsieur and Madame Dieulafoi and Veronica 


176 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


remain guests of Mr. Edward and Mrs. Oglesby 
until the day of the marriage. There were yet 
three weeks to the wedding day, and there took 
place in that time many pre-nuptial festive gather- 
ings among the county gentry. Veronica was 
everywhere greatly admired and Reginald was con- 
sidered the luckiest of mortals in winning so beau- 
tiful and so charming a bride. Monsieur Dieula- 
foi, of course, broke out occasionally in violent 
denunciations of the French Republic, and then 
again would he launch with great vim into some 
incident in the life of the great Napoleon. But on 
the whole, he was far more subdued than of yore. 
He was taken good-humoredly and nothing hap- 
pened to mar the pleasure of the visit of the Dieu- 
lafois. 

It is not the purpose of this narrative to recount 
all the strange, to him, incidents that occurred to 
Mr. Silas Thompson in his journey from Tennessee 
to Streetfield, Gloucestershire, England, as he ac- 
companed Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, excepting to say 
that, this being Mr. Thompson’s first visit to the 
Old Land, he obtained the full measure and benefit 
from his holiday, both physically and mentally. 
Before he returned to America Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son had contrived to visit most of the places of 
interest and note in Great Britain, and had even 
taken a hasty junket into Ireland. As we have 
discoursed at some length upon this approaching 
marriage, suffice it to say, that the Wilcoxes and 
Mr. Silas Thompson arrived in due course at 
Streetfield Manor, and the heartiness of their re- 
ception recalled in some degree the open-hearted 
hospitality of the Wilcoxes in Tennessee. The cor- 
dial and even affectionate meeting of Reginald 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 177 


with his old American friends, and their expres- 
sions of delight with the charm of his bride-to-be, 
all these were matters that followed the natural 
order of things. 

The whole neighborhood was en fete on the wed- 
ding day, and as for the bride, nothing had ever 
excelled her charm and beauty in her bridal cos- 
tume, and the staid dignity of Reginald in his uni- 
form of a Lieutenant of Her Majesty's 110th Regi- 
ment, the happiness of Sir William and Lady 
Streetfield, the extreme satisfaction and happiness 
of Monsieur and Madame Dieulafoi, the almost 
boisterous glee of Captain Tom, the quiet dignity 
of George Wilcox, and the gratification and pleas- 
ure of Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox and Grace, and the 
silent happiness of Silas Thompson, all this had 
to be seen to be duly appreciated. Nor must we 
forget to mention the village and country maid- 
ens, prettily dressed in white, carrying large bou- 
quets of beautiful flowers, roses, sweet peas, mig- 
nonettes and other fragrant flowers, with which 
they bestrewed the long pathway by which the 
bride was to enter the church. Of all the happy 
souls in that gathering we must especially mention 
Lady Streetfield. It seemed to her as if the cycle 
of her efforts on behalf of Reginald had been com- 
pleted as she gazed upon the sweet face of Veron- 
ica. She offered a silent prayer of gratitude and 
thanksgiving for all the many blessings vouch- 
safed Reginald. Nor must we forget Lady Travel- 
yan and Amelia. Their countenances truly radi- 
ated the happiness and purity of their own souls. 

The ceremony through, Reginald and his bride 
received the warm and hearty congratulations of 
those present, and Mr. Silas Thompson actually 


178 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


had the temerity to claim a kiss from the bride, 
which was blushingly accorded him. So also did 
Mr. Albert Wilcox and Mr. George Wilcox and 
Captain Tom Brosby. The carriages were soon 
filled and away went the bridal party to the Manor, 
which was profusely, most tastefully and most 
wonderfully decorated with flowers for the occa- 
sion. Lady Travelyan and Amelia had taken upon 
themselves the duty of supervising the sumptuous 
wedding feast and the regaling of the guests. Of 
cheer there was ample and of the best. The day 
was a beautiful one, and outside on the far ex- 
tended lawn were p'Jaced tastefully decorated 
tables, all loaded down with every conceivable va- 
riety of viands and wines. These were for the 
feasting of the tenantry and their friends. 

Lady Travelyan had constituted Will Burke, Phil 
Knox, and Harry Brooks masters of ceremony for 
the outside festivities, and well did our three mus- 
keteers perform their part, good humoredly jesting 
with the grown-up folk and rollicking with the 
children, and imparting their own jovial spirits 
(which appeared to be irresistible) to the happy 
company. The Manor was thrown open, and ample 
accommodations were provided for all. There at 
the head of the long bridal table in the great 
dining hall, sat the bride with her husband to the 
right, and to her left sat her father and mother, 
and at the other end of the table, facing the bride 
and groom, sat Sir William, looking every inch a 
baronet, with Lady Streetfield to his right. 

Oh, what a happy gathering to be sure! With 
not a shadow to be seen on the horizon, the aus- 
pices were, indeed, favorable. Then there was the 
Rev. Dr. Sharpe to ask a blessing upon all of them. 


THE SWEET FACE OF VERONICA 179 


and so everything and everybody were in perfect 
accord and harmony. 

Happy Reginald! Happy Veronica! You are soon 
to leave the festive board, and your joyous and 
feasting friends, leaving them to themselves, to 
continue their festivities, after you have been car- 
ried away, as rapidly as steam can carry you, to 
far-away bonny Scotland. There to spend midst 
the enchanting beauty of the softness of her 
heathered covered hills, your honeymoon, and may 
it be one of hallowed, blessed and unalloyed bliss. 

And so they went, amid the joyous acclamations 
and glad cheers of the happy assembly. Most dem- 
onstrative, indeed, were the guests on the lawn, as 
they threw rice and old slippers at the bridal pair, 
for good luck, as they disappeared from view in 
a carriage drawn by a splendid span of horses. It 
is not our wish to follow all the festivities of that 
joyous occasion. The good things outside disap- 
peared as if under the wand of a magician; and 
right merry did the gathering become. Soon a 
space was cleared, and dancing was inaugurated. 
And thus did all the tenants of Streetfield Manor, 
with their friends, dance and make merry. They 
broke up at a late hour that night, only to begin 
over again next day, and thus in ye olde English 
style was the merriment kept going for three days, 
until the oldest inhabitant of those parts had to 
confess that, even his memory was at fault, when 
he tried in vain to recall such a joyous occasion. 
The county gentry, too, assembled day after day 
for three whole days, and well might they have 
tried Lady Travelyan’s ingenuity to provide for 
all that happy throng and to maintain her reputa- 
tion of being one of the best entertainers in Lon- 


180 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


don. The choicest of wines flowed like water, and 
right merry were the dancers and dancing, and in 
the meanwhile was Silas Thompson standing slight- 
ly apart deeply interest H/ in all that was transpir- 
ing around him. and audibly saying to himself, 
“Well, well, Veronica! You are truly a beautiful 
woman ! The loveliest that I have ever seen ! What an 
unusually pretty and uncommon name, too! I must 
in future refer to you, Veronica, as the party of the 
second part, and as for you, Reginald Streetfleld, 
you will ever be to me the party of the first part, 
and God bless you both, the party of the first and 
the party of the second part.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 

Captain Brosby, having returned to his regi- 
mental station at Bath, the amusing and interest- 
ing personalities of Harry Brooks and Bill Burke 
disappeared from the retinue of Streetfield Manor. 
These gentlemen escorted three stalwart servants 
of that household back with them for enlistment 
into Her Majesty's 110th foot regiment. 

Captain Brosby had arranged all the essential 
details for Reginald, as far as his military duties 
were concerned, and he, with George Wilcox, true 
to their promise, started on a junketing excursion 
with Mr. Silas Thompson, of which we shall not 
go into details, further than to say that Mr. 
Thompson was greatly delighted and edified with 
all he saw and heard. Monsieur and Madame Dieu- 
lafoi had gone back to their home in London; 
while Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wilcox left for London, 
where they purposed to remain until Silas Thomp- 
son and George were prepared to return with them 
to Tennessee. 

Sir William and Lady Streetfield were now 
alone. The excitement of all the festivities having 
died down, a depressing reaction and a sense of 
loneliness stole over them, notwithstanding the 
fact that Lady Travelyan and Amelia had been 
prevailed upon to prolong their stay at Streetfield 
Manor. Lady Streetfield strove to resist the feel- 
ing that had stolen insensibly over her, and more- 
over, she was troubled and apprehensive about the 
health of Sir William, who had brightened up won- 
derfully while the festivities were in progress ; but. 


182 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


since the house had become quiet again, it could 
be readily seen that he was by no means well. 
Lady Streetfield had talked over the matter with 
the Rev. Dr. Sharpe, and he advised the summon- 
ing of a London physician to consult with the 
local medical practitioner, who had so long and 
successfully taken care of Sir William's health. 
Lady Travelyan and Amelia, wth their vivacity 
and overflowing good-humor, succeeded, after a 
manner, in keeping up a semblance of cheer in the 
old Manor House. 

The London physician had come and gone, and 
his opinion had deepened the gloom which had 
stolen over the spirit of Lady Streetfield. He 
expressed his opinion that Sir William's wonderful 
constitution, which had for so many years past 
successfully combated the ravages of the fell Afri- 
can fever, was now beginning to wane and that his 
hitherto strong constitution was breaking down, 
allowing the dire after-effects of that fever to 
assume a dangerous and alarming aspect, and 
that unless he could re-establish the domination of 
his hitherto wonderful constitution, the tenure of 
his life was very uncertain. 

Under these circumstances. Lady Streetfield felt 
constrained to summon her son from the Highlands 
of Scotland, where, as stated in the preceding 
chapter, he with his bride were spending their 
honeymoon. Lady Streetfield purposely desisted 
from alarming Reginald, by simply stating, that 
his father had been far from well, and that per- 
haps it would be wise for him to come home. 

When he received this letter, Reginald was 
greatly alarmed for he knew only too well that his 
mother would not, except under the most serious 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


183 


apprehensions, have asked for his return. Veron- 
ica shared her husband's fears, and they hos- 
tened back by the fastest route possible. On ar- 
riving home. Sir William greeted his son and his 
daughter-in-law most tenderly. Reginald, no sooner 
had he seen his father, realized that Lady Street- 
field's apprehensions were only too well founded. 
A great change had come over his father since he 
last saw him, and a sense of exhaustion and weak- 
ness would at stated intervals completely overtake 
Sir William, when his condition became really 
alarming; but he would rally again for a few 
hours, until taken with another attack. 

Lady Streetfield was ever by his side, to antici- 
pate his every little want; and he would lie some- 
times, perhaps for half an hour or more, with half 
closed eyes, caressingly holding her hand. Sir 
William was a man of sound business principles; 
and he had all his affairs satisfactorily arranged, 
so that when he quietly and painlessly passed 
away within a few days there was little difficulty 
in having them adjusted. 

The passing of this great soul threw Lady 
Streetfield into an abyss of despair and grief. 
Their lives had been of such unalloyed happiness 
and they were passionately attached to each other. 
At times, in the recent past, she would be often 
overwhelmed with the thought of the time when 
these same hours must come to her, those hours all 
through the livelong days, weeks, months and 
years, when she must exist alone, without the 
companionship of her beloved husband. 

Reginald made every effort, in every possible 
way, to assuage the grief of his mother, and Ve- 
ronica, with her wonderful tact and her sympa- 


•i 


184 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


thetic affection which she had begun to share with 
Reginald for Lady Streetfield, succeeded in a large 
measure in averting a catastrophe, for Lady 
Streetfield was in danger of succumbing to the 
tremendous weight and poignancy of her sorrow. 

It was a melancholy throng that came to pay 
their last respects to the Master of Streetfield. 
Barely a month had elapsed since that self-same 
throng had assembled in gladsome and joyous cele- 
bration at the wedding feast of Reginald and 
Veronica, and here the same people, and others 
besides, had come to pay their last tribute of re- 
spect to their friend and patron. As the Rev. Dr. 
Sharpe pronounced in a ringing tone those words, 
in his melodious and sonorous voice, “Blessed are 
the dead that die in the Lord,” a general sob 
seemed to convulse those present. And again, 
when the choir broke out into that superb anthem, 
which seems alw’ays to arouse in the listener the 
joys of a soul awakening in paradise, “I know that 
my Redeemer Liveth,” then it was that the cup 
of anguish of all the assembled mourners seemed, 
indeed, to be filled to overflowing. A good man 
had died. There should be no reason for mourning 
and sorrow; an untarnished and an unblemished 
human soul had passed back to its Creator. Sir 
William lived as he was bom, a true and good 
man. He was born with good and high instincts, 
and his early life was profoundly influenced by 
sound and good traditions, which thrust their 
roots down into ages long past, the truth and 
soundness of which have long been proved by the 
experience of generations of men. 

Silas Thompson, who hastened from his trip (to 
the extreme east coast of England) to be present 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


185 


at the funeral of the father of his friend Reginald, 
was greatly struck by the genuine emotion shown 
by the vast throng that attended the funeral; and 
the thought occurred to him that this good man, 
now dead, was a fair representative of a class 
which the demagogy contemptuously referred to 
as the squirarchy. This man, and all men of his 
class exercise a strong hold upon the imagination 
and affections of their tenants as well as upon the 
county gentry and the professional and trading 
classes. They hold this influence, Silas reasoned 
with himself, not to their possession of land and 
property, but to those ancient traditions that have 
descended from the feudal barons and the feudal 
lords. Those barons and lords were ever the flrst, 
to call their retainers to battle, and to place them- 
selves at the head and front of the affray, thus 
encouraging their followers and instilling into 
them their own dauntless spirit and courage. If 
England, he thought, should ever have to experi- 
ence a position wherein her national life would be 
in danger of extinction, these men, and the sons of 
these men, with their tenantry, and their peas- 
ants, would be the first to throw themselves into 
the fiery furnace of modern warfare, and would 
sacrifice their all — ^lands, money, position, life — 
everything, in the preservation of the life of Eng. 
land. They were worthy sons of worthy sires, 
who, for countless generations before them, he 
admitted to himself, were surrounded and loved 
and revered by their tenantry and their peasantry, 
the backbone of England's solidarity and stability. 

The funeral over, many there were in that gath- 
ering who recounted the kindly and unostentatious 
acts of the departed master. One sturdy yeoman 


186 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


related how the deceased master had come unso- 
licited to his aid at a time when troubles, too 
numerous to mention, had flocked down upon him 
and threatened to destroy his very means of liveli- 
hood; and how the good master, when hearing of 
his condition, came forward and pressed upon him 
the acceptance of a gift of two thousand pounds. 

Another related how the master had, unasked, 
reduced his yearly rent to one-half during the time 
he was passing his son through college; and how 
when that son had taken his degree, Sir William 
had generously sent him a thousand-pound note 
to start him in life. So many there were, indeed, 
in that part of the county who owed everything 
to the solicitude and generosity of their benefac- 
tor, Sir William Streetfleld. 

The Streetfields had always regarded themselves 
in relation to their tenantry, as simply trustees, 
and they fully recognized the onus and responsi- 
bility of that trusteeship. Thus when we related 
how genuine was the outburst of sorrow that 
broke forth when the words, '‘Blessed are the dead 
that die in the Lord,’^ were given out, those people 
felt, and believed, that the dead before them was, 
indeed, blessed. 

The funeral being over, and all matters of busi- 
ness pertaining to the succession of the estates 
and title being concluded. Captain Brosby and the 
new baronet, Sir Reginald Streetfleld, conferred as 
to what had best be done. Sir Reginald was to 
join his regiment, which was in daily expectation 
of being ordered out to India on active service to 
the northwestern frontier of that country, where 
numerous devastating fanatical uprisings among the 
war-like hill tribes had now developed into a more 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


187 


serious affair than at first anticipated. An expe- 
ditionary force was in process of being mobilized, 
and the redoubtable 110th was likely to form a 
unit of the force. 

Lady Streetfield was to remain at Streetfield 
Manor, while that good-hearted Lady Travelyan 
and her no less kindly daughter, insisted that they 
remain for a few months at the Manor House to 
bear Lady Streetfield company, and to allay, as 
much as possible, her grief and loneliness. Sir 
Reginald and Captain Tom repaired to Bath, while 
Veronica elected to stay at the Manor with Lady 
Streetfield. 

When the gallant Captain and Streetfield ar- 
rived at Bath, they found that the regiment had 
just received orders to proceed to Aldershot, prior 
to embarking at Portsmouth for India. It was 
only natural that this news would give Reginald 
no little concern, although it was not altogether 
unlooked for. To leave his newly wedded wife and 
his grief-stricken mother would be very harrow- 
ing but he was a soldier and when called by his 
country he must obey. His duty as a soldier had 
first claim upon him; besides he knew perfectly 
well that his mother and wife would be the very 
last to countenance the least dereliction of duty on 
his part. He did not, however, write and give them 
the news, as he purposed being back in Streetfield 
Manor in a few days. He feared the effect of 
writing, and of the news upon his mother in her 
present precarious state of health. The officers of 
the noth were glad to see Reginald again. They 
were aware of the recent loss of his father, and 
they exerted themselves to make his duty and his 
sojourn among them as pleasant as possible. 


188 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


The noth foot infantry was commanded by 
Colonel Thomas Tomkins, a splendid example of a 
British soldier. Colonel Tom Tom, as he was fa- 
miliarly called by his fellow officers and men, was 
a martinet so far as the discipline and training of 
his regiment were concerned; but outside of duty 
he was a large-hearted, generous, and kindly man. 
He had ever a willing ear for the troubles of any 
of his officers and men, family troubles, as he fa- 
cetiously called them. He was an old bachelor and, 
although always gallant and chivalrous to the 
ladies, nevertheless, he prided himself upon avoid- 
ing the pit of matrimony, as he jestingly called it. 

Colonel Tom Tom was a man six feet in 
height, well proportioned, but showing in recent 
years a tendency to stoutness. He was a man of 
abstemious habits, although he had been known 
on a few very special occasions to have departed 
from the straight and narrow way. The Colonel, 
too, was more than cordial in his welcome to 
Streetfield. He had known all about Captain 
Brosby's sister’s marriage to Sir William Street- 
field, and had been once taken to call upon Sir 
William at Streetfield Manor, by Captain Brosby, 
and had spent a few very enjoyable days shooting 
over the Streetfield preserves. 

Colonel Tom Tom knew all about Reginald’s 
joining the 110th Regiment. He had known about 
Reginald’s recent marriage, and the sad and un- 
fortunate loss of his father, occurring so shortly 
after his marriage, and had, unsolicited, told Regi- 
nald that he could have all the leave of absence he 
needed before they embarked on active service 
abroad; and, more than that, if that tim.e proved 
not ample to arrange his affairs he would 


BLESSED AKE THE DEAD 


189 


see to it that Streetfield be given additional leave 
of absence and join his regiment a little later in 
India. This kind offer Reginald declined, but 
begged a few days leave of absence in the mean- 
time. 

The dowager Lady Streetfield was quite over- 
come when she heard that her son’s regiment was 
ordered to India on active service, but she cour- 
ageously accepted the situation. 

''You are a soldier, my son, and a soldier must 
obey orders,” she said to Reginald on hearing the 
news from him. "I am more sorry for Veronica, 
but I will be a mother to her, and we will at all 
times write to you; perhaps it may not be for very 
long after all, and Veronica can go out to you and 
perhaps, my dear son, I may occompany her for a 
short visit. I have always had a desire to visit 
India.” 

It was as much as Veronica could do, to keep 
from breaking down completely, but she was 
brave. "Was she not a soldier’s wife?” she asked 
herself. Therefore, she must courageously face the 
ordeal; but she had passed through so many har- 
rowing experiences — her sister’s marriage, and 
her subsequent separation from her, and the death 
of her husband’s father, following so soon after 
her marriage, and now this, to her, the greatest 
of all. Reginald had to leave her. It was hard to 
tell for how long, and he was going to war. It 
might be forever. War was uncertain, and no re- 
specter of persons, and Reginald might never re- 
turn. Every battle kills some soldier, and why 
should it not kill Reginald as well as another? 
These thoughts would surge through her mind, 
though she tried ever so hard to keep them back. 


190 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


When in Reginald’s company she assumed a bright 
and cheery attitude. *Tt does not matter, it will 
not be for long, I know. I shall soon be coming out 
to you, and maybe, to give you an additional sur- 
prise, bring your mother out with me; so cheer 
up, you darling boy, and let us all be merry and 
happy as we can, while you are still with us,” she 
would say to him. 

Sir Reginald and Veronica went down to London 
in order to bid the parents of Veronica good-bye 
before he embarked. The good old folk took the 
news very complacently. They knew, they said, 
that a soldier had his duty to perform, and there 
was nothing to be gained by fretting. If every- 
body took it to heart when a soldier was ordered 
away to war, the country would be in the most 
unenviable position. ‘'The vdves,” continued the 
old Bonapartist, “of the soldiers of the great Na- 
poleon always rejoiced to see their husbands march 
away to victory, for those wives argued, that stay- 
ing at home would not win for their husbands a 
marshal’s baton.” 

Veronica promised her parents that she would 
spend her days, while Reginald was away on active 
service, equally between London and Streetfield 
Manor. Finally the day arrived and Lieutenant 
Sir Reginald Streetfield embarked from Ports- 
mouth with his regiment for India, after bidding 
farewell to his wife, mother, and to his friends, 
George Wilcox, Grace, and their parents, and dear 
old Silas Thompson. All these kind friends had 
elected to stay in England until Sir Reginald 
sailed. This expression of so kindly a feeling on 
their part greatly affected Sir Reginald. The Wil- 
coxes were to have been the guests of Lady 


BLESSED AKE THE DEAD 


191 


Travelyan in London for a time, but the untimely 
death of Sir William Streetfield and the precari- 
ous condition of the dowager Lady Streetfield in- 
duced that kind lady to alter her plans and stay a 
while at Streetfield Manor, in order to be of some 
service, as she said, to Lady Streetfield. The Wil- 
coxes, under these altered circumstances, decided 
to accompany Silas Thompson, whenever pos- 
sible, on his numerous sight-seeing tours, until 
Reginald departed for India. That event having 
taken place, they left England, and sajled for 
home. 

Sir Reginald threw himself with ardor into his 
duties, as a counterpoise to his own sad thoughts, 
so much so that he received the commendations of 
his major and adjutant, and even of his Colonel. 

‘‘That young man will be a credit to the serv- 
ice,” Colonel Tom Tom once remarked to Captain 
Brosby. “It is sad, however, that he had to leave 
his young wife behind him. We must do some- 
thing for them, Brosby, when we get through this 
campaign, which I think will not last longer than 
six months. I will arrange to have Lady Street- 
field out with us. She will be an acquisition to the 
cantonment. I hear she is talented and a very 
gracious and charming young woman.” 

After an uneventful voyage, the 110th disem- 
barked at Bombay, and entrained for the north- 
west frontier. The many interesting and novel 
scenes that presented themselves to Reginald, the 
interesting buildings that he visited as the oppor- 
tunity occurred, and the whole antithesis of east- 
ern civilization as compared to western, so ab- 
sorbed Reginald’s leisure moments that they con- 
tributed in a large measure to keep him from con- 


192 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


stantly dwelling upon his wife, mother and home. 

They passed over the western Ghauts, as the 
mountains that line the western coast of India are 
called, and over the plains and mountains of cen- 
tral India, passing through scenes of great natural 
beauty. 

Reginald had received many letters from his 
wife and mother, and from the Rev. Dr. Sharpe, 
who had promised to write to him at regular inter- 
vals. You may be sure he answered all these let- 
ters with compound interest, relating many of the 
novel and interesting scenes and experiences that 
he had passed through. 

The noth finally joined the expeditionary forces 
at Peshawa in the extreme west of the Punjab 
where it was in the process of formation. ITiis 
force consisted of ten thousand infantry — ^three 
British regiments and seven Sepoy or native In- 
dian regiments — four squadrons of cavalry and sev- 
eral batteries of artillery with machine gun com- 
plements, and in addition to these, the transport 
and the army medical services. The whole force 
amounted to about sixteen thousand men. From 
Peshawa this force moved forward in sections, to- 
wards those lofty peaks that guard the gateway 
of India, the Hindu-Kush Mountains. 

The fertile valleys of these mountains are in- 
habited by the most fierce, warlike, treacherous 
and intractable tribes to be found anywhere in 
the world. They disregarded treaty obligations 
on the slightest pretext and would suddenly mo- 
bilize their forces and spring without warning, in 
overwhelming numbers, upon those isolated garri- 
sons left on the extreme confines of India to guard 
the frontier. The British garrisons were compelled 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


193 


to remain ever on guard against such treacherous 
onslaughts, being in many instances unable to 
venture safely outside the range of their own 
guns. 

On this occasion the uprising had assumed a 
sinister aspect, as many of the Pathan sepoys of 
the British forces had deserted to the Afridis, as 
these tribes were called, and had instructed them 
in military discipline and evolution. These tribes 
also secured by some means quick-firing rifles and 
machine guns, and even artillery. The number 
known to be armed was estimated to be over twen- 
ty-five thousand men. Against this formidable 
number, the British government of India deter- 
mined to take no risks, and an expeditionary force 
of sixteen thousand men was to be sent in the field 
against them to crush permanently, if possible, 
their resistance. We shall leave Sir Reginald 
Streetfield with his regiment for a while, and re- 
trace our steps to England. 

The Wilcoxes and Silas Thompson had left Eng- 
land for America, as we have already stated, and 
Phil Knox had accompanied them. George Wil- 
cox, however, stayed behind, as he contemplated a 
trip to Vienna to see Dr. J. Douglas Vernon. He 
purposed killing two birds with one stone; he was 
desirous of seeing something of the rest of the 
continent of Europe, and also at the same time to 
pay a visit to Dr. Vernon, for whom he entertained 
a very high respect. By some decree of fate young 
Wilcox decided to go to Vienna via Paris, and 
while there he chanced to meet Monsieur Alphonso 
Laudet. 

Monsieur Laudet was debonair and gracious as 
ever. He apologized most profusely to George for 


194 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


what happened in the Chateau d’Eaulant, and by 
his consummate gift of dissimulation he succeeded 
in making Mr. George Wilcox believe that he was 
a most unfortunate man, and had to suffer a vi- 
carious atonement for those rascally French offi- 
cers of the African Guards, who had plotted, he 
said, most skillfully to disposess those two young 
English-speaking gentlemen of their winnings. So 
cleverly did he explain away his conduct in that 
transaction that Wilcox felt like severely censur- 
ing himself for doing Monsieur Laudet so grave 
an injustice. Once having suceeded in getting 
Wilcox in this self-accusing frame of mind, it was 
comparatively easy for Monsieur Laudet to re- 
gain his ascendancy over him. 

Unfortunate George, always good, generous, and 
kind, went like a moth to the flame. It was not 
long before he was with the gayest, the fastest, 
and the most disreputable set in Paris. To add to 
his troubles, he, who had never shown any pro- 
nounced taste for strong wines and spirits, al- 
though he was by no means a total abstainer, be- 
gan to develop a decided taste for strong wines, 
and particularly absinthe, to which drink he almost 
exclusively confined himself. Being plentifully 
supplied with money, George was always a welcome 
guest at those tables where the stakes ran high. 
He was easily flattered and cajoled by Laudet and 
his shrewd companions. Laudet often won from 
him, and even did not hesitate to borrow large 
sums from him. Wilcox had to call upon his Lon- 
don bankers for larger drafts for money from 
home, until his father began to wonder what in 
the world George needed with such large sums. 

Mr. Wilcox senior, was a wealthy man, as 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


195 


wealthy men were considered in America in those 
days, his wealth may have totaled a million dol- 
lars, or nearly two hundred thousand pounds. But 
his wealth lay largely in farm lands and planta- 
tions, and his command of ready money was there- 
fore limited, so that when George’s frequent drafts 
were presented to him for payment, in amounts 
often of ten, fifteen or even twenty thousand dol- 
lars, he naturally became alarmed. He had writ- 
ten to George or. the matter, but he had replied 
quite evasively and unsatisfactorily. Mr. Wilcox 
became genuinely alarmed, and wrote to Dr. Ver- 
non in Vienna enclosing such funds as he thought 
would be ample, and begged him to proceed imme- 
diately to Paris, and see George and ascertain 
from him the reason of his spending such great 
sums. This, accordingly, Dr. Vernon did. 

On arriving at Paris, it did not take him long to 
trace George’s whereabouts, as he was fairly ac- 
curately instructed by pere Wilcox. 

Dr. Vernon found George installed in a sumptu- 
ous suite in one of the most fashionable apart- 
ments in Paris, living there in all the luxurious 
wanton of a fast Parisian life. After running the 
gauntlet of a gate-keeper, a watchman and a porter. 
Dr. Vernon finally managed to arrive at the suite 
that was occupied by Wilcox. On ringing the bell, 
he was ushered into a handsomely furnished ante- 
chamber, by a prettily attired French maid, who 
asked his name, and the purpose of his visit. Dr. 
Vernon, not being very conversant with French, 
handed the maid his card and said in his best 
French, “This is for Monsieur Wilcox.” The maid 
courtesied prettily, and withdrew, closing the inner 
door of the ante-chamber, after saying something 


196 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


in French, which he did not understand; but he 
presumed it to mean that he was to stay where 
he was. 

Presently the maid returned, and beckoned the 
doctor to follow her. She led him through an- 
other wide hall, and again through an elaborately 
furnished dining room, then passing into what ap- 
peared to Dr. Vernon to be another ante-chamber, 
she opened a door which led into another room of 
ample proportions. This room, he saw at a glance, 
was luxuriously furnished, with huge, costly mir- 
rors lining the walls. Massive mahogany couches 
and immense easy chairs, all upholstered in the 
choicest of embossed leather, were placed here and 
there. Costly bric-a-brac on handsome brackets 
attached to the walls could be seen all around the 
room, and others, more rare, were enclosed in glass 
cabinets. 

Almost embedded in one of these luxurious 
chairs, in a semi-recumbent posture, was George. 
He arose languidly when Vernon entered and, ex- 
tending his hand, in an unusually languid manner, 
he shook hands with the doctor, and said in a 
drawling monotone, quite in keeping with his ac- 
tions, “Glad to see you. Doctor, but how in 
heaven's name did you get here?" 

“Being in Paris for a few days, just thought I 
would look you up," replied the doctor as he 
heartily seized George's outstretched hand, and 
gave it a vigorous shake, to which George but 
feebly responded, and winced at the doctor's hearty 
grasp. Dr. Vernon noticed that George's hand was 
cold and clammy; it almost gave him pes anserine. 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


197 


that is, goose-flesh, as he said afterwards, when 
relating the incident to Wilcox senior. 

‘‘You are looking remarkably well, Vernon,” said 
Wilcox. 

“Thanks, George, but I cannot say the same of 
you. You were in splendid form, when I dismissed 
you cured,” responded the doctor. “What the deuce 
have you been doing to yourself?” 

“Nothing, nothing out of the way, Vernon, 1 
assure you. I presume Parisian life does take 
out of a fellow.” 

Doctor Vernon formed a hasty opinion and a 
tentative diagnosis of his friend's case. George's 
complexion was of a transparent white, while his 
eyes were languid, drooping and lusterless, like the 
dead ashes of a Are. His cheeks were slightly 
sunken, and his whole manner lackadaisical. He 
had undergone a complete transformation. He sat 
quite still, apparently satisAed with himself, while 
a smile of self-appreciation spread over his counte- 
nance. 

“A fast Parisian life, you know, doctor, will 
leave its mark. I may as well make an open con- 
fession as not, but how came you here? Not on 
your own volition, I am sure. Be candid. I have 
confessed, you do the same. My dad commis- 
sioned you to look me up, did he not?” 

“Why yes, Wilcox, you might as well know now 
as later. I received a letter from your father in 
Vienna, asking me to look you up. What has gone 
wrong with you? Something has, that is quitev 
obvious,” answered the doctor. 

“The old gentleman has been apprehensive for 
some time about me. You see, Vernon, it is darned 
expensive living in Paris and I have been drawing 


198 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


rather freely on him lately. I think he begins to 
smell a rat, and I must confess that I have not 
kept up my correspondence as I should have done. 
I have letters upon letters from mother and Grace, 
only a tithe of which I have answered. So the old 
man sent you to see what I was doing in Paris. 
I have not committed matrimony. Perhaps he was 
afraid of that.” 

All this George Wilcox said in a most imper- 
sonal and inanimate way, as if he were speaking 
entirely of somebody else. He appeared to be in- 
capable of emotion, as he limply sank in his chair. 

*'What shall I say to him, George? Shall I 
write and tell him you are O. K., and will soon be 
home again, or shall I describe conditions as I 
find them, and as you have related them to me?” 

‘‘Anything but the latter, anything but the lat- 
ter, Vernon. Tell him that you are investigating. 
Give me a little time to pull myself together again. 
I know that I cannot go on like this. This and 
better may do, but this and worse will be the end 
of me. You will have to help me out again, doctor. 
This is not a disease of the body but of the mind. 
I am beginning to feel frightfully depressed. It 
is all so sudden, Vernon. Your coming upon me 
like this. I will ask the maid to bring us some- 
thing. Please press the button there on the table 
beside you,” said George in a languid way. 

“Nothing for me, I thank you, Wilcox. If you 
want the maid you must do the pressing of the 
button yourself. I shall have to be shown that you 
really mean to pull yourself together,” rejoined 
the doctor with decid^ emphasis. 

“Come, come, old man. You need not get 
crusty,” said George, arising and pressing the but- 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


199 


ton. ‘‘Wait and see the transformation after I 
have had some absinthe.” 

“Absinthe, George? You have surely not taken 
to drinking that stuff, I hope. You surely know 
where that will lead you to,” replied Dr. Vernon, 
anxiously. 

Just then the maid arrived. She seemed to have 
known what was needed, for she brought in 
glasses with a decanter. 

“It is not what it will do to me, doctor. It is 
what it has already done. Please observe the 
effect it will have on me. You will hardly know 
me in two or three minutes.” 

Dr. Vernon looked on, unable to say a word, so 
nonplussed was he with the strange metamorpho- 
sis of George Wilcox. This inanimate listless be- 
ing, the Wilcox he had left so vigorously well just 
a few short months ago. It seemed unreal, and 
altogether impossible. 

He poured out a glass from the decanter full to 
the brim and began sipping it leisurely, in com- 
plete silence, while Dr. Vernon sat by much inter- 
ested in the scene. After he had consumed the 
liquor thus slowly, he lay back in the chair. In a 
few moments Dr. Vernon, who was closely watch- 
ing him, observed a bright hectic flush lighting up 
the death-like pallor of his cheeks, and his eyes 
seemed to open widely and sparkled brilliantly. 
His features began to assume an animated and 
bright expression, and a happy smile radiated over 
his countenance. The metamorphosis was com- 
plete. 

‘ Wait until you see Laudet, Vernon ;” and, ad- 
dressing the maid in French, George said to her. 


200 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


“Please ask Monsieur Laudet to step in,” and ad- 
dressing Vernon, continued. 

“Laudet will be here in a minute, doctor. I 
want you to meet him. He is the. grandest fellow 
in the world. You will think so when you meet 
him. He has been a true and kind friend to me, 
Vernon, and has helped me out of a number of 
scrapes, I assure you, and has on more than one 
occasion replenished my banking account; great 
is Laudet.” 

All this George said with surprising animation 
and emphasis, a complete contrast to his languor 
before taking the absinthe. His eyes gleamed like 
two pieces of live coal. He appeared to have re- 
covered all the elasticity of body which a moment 
before he had lacked. In a few moments, the maid 
rapped at the door and opening it, announced Mon- 
sieur Laudet. 

“Ah Monsieur Laudet, mon bon ami, I have sent 
for you to meet my old and trusted friend and 
physician. Dr. Vernon of Great Hope, Tennessee. 
He has been deputed by my revered and anxious 
father to look after his wayward son. I have just 
been telling him what a good friend I have found 
in you. Shake hands with Dr. Vernon, Laudet.” 

“I am sure I am most pleased to meet any friend 
of Mr. Wilcox,” said Laudet in his most cordial 
and mellifluous tone. 

Dr. Vernon made a quick mental survey of Mon- 
sieur Laudet as he stood up to shake hands with 
him, and he could not but admit to himself that 
he had a very hard task before him in weaning 
George away from his charming companion, and 
from his present environments, and the seductive 
life he was leading. He felt that his ingenuity 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


201 


would be taxed to the utmost, and for this he had 
to be prepared. He decided then and there to 
practice all the dissimulation that he could possi- 
bly bring to bear upon the situation. Laudet 
helped himself to a glass of absinthe from the de- 
canter. 

“You will have a glass of absinthe, will you 
not. Monsieur le docteur?” said Laudet. “It is 
really the only drink a man of intellect should in- 
dulge in.” 

“No, thank you. Monsieur Laudet. I do not 
mind, however, having a glass of claret,” replied 
Dr. Vernon. 

“Good for you Vernon. Please press that button 
behind you, Laudet, for Marie,” said George. Pres- 
ently Marie appeared, and Wilcox ordered her to 
bring in a decanter of claret, and when she ar- 
rived with the decanter, Wilcox poured the doctor 
out a glass, saying, “We must contrive to make 
your stay in Paris as pleasant and enjoyable as 
possible.” 

“How long does Monsieur le docteur stay?” 
asked Laudet. 

“My time is my own. I may stay a few days, 
until I tire of the pleasures of the city,” replied 
Vernon. 

“Then you will lunch with Wilcox and myself. 
We must do the honors of Gai Paree,” said Laudet. 

“I am sure I have much pleasure in accepting 
your kind invitation and placing myself in your 
hands. Monsieur Laudet. My friend Wilcox tells 
me that you have proved your friendship to him 
on more than one occasion,” answered the doctor. 

“Mr. Wilcox pays me too great an honor, but I 
will always stay with a friend,” said Laudet, map- 


202 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ping out a programme for the rest of the day, in 
the most charmingly ingenuous manner. He re- 
counted some of the amusing incidents that had 
occurred to Mr. Wilcox and himself, always, how- 
ever, placing Wilcox in the best of light, and to 
the greatest advantage. Laudet tried to appear at 
his best before the doctor, and he certainly suc- 
ceeded. His charm of manner, apparent frank- 
ness, and his inexhaustible fund of humor were 
not lost on Dr. Vernon, who felt more than ever 
convinced that his first estimate as to the diffi- 
culty of the task he had in hand was not over- 
rated. Presently Laudet rose to go, after making 
an appointment with George and the doctor to 
meet them at lunch at a certain fashionable res- 
taurant. 

After LaudePs departure, George said, “There, 
doctor, is the most fashionable and popular man in 
Paris. He knows everybody, and goes everywhere. 
I should have been quite lost in Paris without him. 
He has been my sheet anchor in this city.'' 

Tndeed," rejoined Vernon laconically, thinking 
at the same time that if George had not met 
Laudet at all, he would not be in his present de- 
plorable condition. That was neither here nor 
there, however; the problem to be faced, was, how 
to extricate Wilcox from his dangerous position. 

It is not a part of the narrative to follow Dr. 
Vernon in all the intricacies and ramifications of 
Parisian life that he was compelled to follow in 
his efforts to keep in constant touch with George 
Wilcox. On one occasion he had joined Laudet 
and George and a party of their friends at a din- 
ner given by one of the boon companions of Mon- 
sieur Laudet. After dinner a game of cards was 


BLESSED ABE THE DEAD 


203 


proposed, and, as Dr. Vernon had not come pre- 
pared to play for high stakes, George forced him 
to accept a loan of five one-thousand franc bills, 
and as the doctor felt that he was gradually but 
surely gaining an ascendancy over George, he 
thought it politic to accept the loan. 

After he had been playing for a while, luck 
seemed to come his way, and did not desert him 
for the rest of the evening; and, as the stakes were 
high, he found himself at the end of the night's 
session, twenty thousand francs to the good. 

The members of that party insisted that Dr. 
Vernon give them their revenge, and urged, both 
by George and Laudet, he found himself in a posi- 
tion in which he could not well refuse. He even 
offered to return all his winnings, but this ap- 
parently caused some affront, so he was con- 
strained to meet them again the following night 
but one. Laudet and Wilcox arranged to have the 
party meet at their apartment. 

Dr. Vernon found that after giving George back 
his five thousand francs, he had twenty thousand 
francs to fall back upon. 

The dinner was a most sumptuous and elaborate 
affair. Dr. Vernon seldom ventured beyond the 
lightest kinds of wine, not that he was by any 
means prejudiced against alcoholic beverages. He 
was willing to concede the truth of the old Scottish 
adage, ‘‘Every man knows, his own know best," 
and as every man has been endowed by his Cre- 
ator, he contended, with sense enough to know 
his own know, in regard to the taking of alco- 
holic beverages, and that when men failed to be ra- 
tional, it was usually owing to some physical de- 
fect or weakness, or to some moral defect in their 


204 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


character, that the most morally developed man 
was he who was not only able to boldly face temp- 
tation, but also to resist, and overcome it. He was 
not a believer in the cotton-pad variety of man. 
This was an expression of his own. To him a 
cotton-pad man was one who had to be wrapped in 
cotton wadding like a premature infant, to be pro- 
tected even from the slightest movement of the 
air around him. So also his moral nature had to 
be thickly padded and artificially protected, lest 
he should by any chance suffer a moral lapse. Dr. 
Vernon had one great maxim in life, which had 
always been an inspiration to him and a touch- 
stone of his career, and this had by no means been 
an easy one. His parents, as we have stated be- 
fore, being left indigent after the war of secession, 
young James Douglas Vernon had had to battle 
every step of his way all through his preparation 
for his life’s work. His maxim, therefore, was 
particularly apropos. ‘‘Dare to be a Daniel.” Dare 
even to venture into the lion’s den. Go into the 
world fearlessly, and learn to govern yourself. The 
world, he argued, is better off for having strong 
men, who have battled with temptations, and have 
overcome them, than to have a world peopled by 
those who have so packed themselves in cotton in 
order to be protected from even the slightest breath 
of temptation. 

The rest of the party indulged in brandy and 
absinthe, which seemed to be their favorite tip- 
ple. Fortune again smiled upon Dr. Vernon, and 
he arose from the table in the small hours of the 
morning fifteen thousand francs richer than when 
he sat down. In the meanwhile, he never lost an 
opportunity of bringing home to George Wilcox 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


205 


the danger of the course he was pursuing, es- 
pecially in the matter of absinthe drinking, and 
he urged him to maintain some check upon him- 
self. 

The doctor had confidentially written to George’s 
father, in Tennessee, giving him all the facts of 
the case, and pointed out to him that George’s 
position was so perilous and difficult to deal with 
that he found that being single handed he was 
powerless to cope with it. He urged upon Mr. 
Wilcox to hasten to Paris. And the doctor pa- 
tiently awaited his arrival. 

The thirty-five thousand francs that Dr. Vernon 
had won he passed over to George, to prevent him 
drawing still further upon his father, or from bor- 
rowing money from Laudet. 

It was not long before Mr. Wilcox Senior ar- 
rived in Paris, accompanied by Phil Knox, who 
had taken service under him since his return to 
America. The doctor and Mr. Wilcox Senior had 
a long and serious conference as to George’s pre- 
carious position and the means to be adopted to 
extricate him. At this time fortune favored 
them, through the instrumentality of Josephine. 

For some time past Josephine had been urging 
upon her husband the desirability of going back 
to London. She had known of Veronica’s mar- 
riage, and she had an irrepressible longing to be 
reconciled to her family. Laudet could not well 
refuse her as he had observed that she was be- 
ginning to show the effects of this ungratified and 
natural yearning; and then he had been so long 
absent from his diplomatic post, on one excuse or 
another, that his government had at length per- 
emptorily asked for his resignation, or his return 


206 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


to his post. Besides this, he had been extremely 
lucky in his gaming ventures, and had been able 
to put by a considerable sum of money. Taking 
one thing with another, all matters seemed to 
point to his return to London. When he learned 
that George’s father had arrived in Paris for the 
express purpose of taking his son home with him, 
he resolved, with his usual acumen, to make a 
virtue of a necessity, and arranged a meeting with 
Mr. Wilcox Senior, and Dr. Vernon. At this meet- 
ing he assured George’s father that he would use 
his best endeavors to prevail upon his son to 
return with him to Tennessee, not revealing, how- 
ever, the main reason for his doing so, namely, 
that he himself, had decided to return to his post 
in London. 

It was plain that Mr. Wilcox Senior was greatly 
taken with the genial affability, the apparent 
kindness and the charm of manner of the young 
Frenchman, and he could hardly bring himself to 
believe that apparently so cultured a gentleman 
should have such an evil influence upon his son. 
Thus it happened that George readily went back 
with his father to Tennessee, when he learned 
Monsieur Laudet purposed returning to his post 
in London, and Dr. Vernon left for Vienna to re- 
sume his studies there. 

It was indeed a heart-breaking experience for 
Mrs. Wilcox and Grace to see the wreck of that 
fine young man in whom they had all taken such 
a joy and pride. 

As for Miss Emily Lawrence, she seemed to 
have experienced a revulsion of feeling and avoid- 
ed meeting George as much as possible. He would 
remain quite well behaved for short periods of 


BLESSED AEE THE DEAD 


207 


time, and then he would disappear and would be 
found later at New York, Philadelphia, or Wash- 
ington, and even as far away as New Orleans. 
Here he would be found in a state of wild dissi- 
pation. Mr. Wilcox had restricted his son’s use of 
his money, but he was constrained to meet and 
honor the many doubtful obligations that George 
from time to time would incur, to save him from 
the dire consequences of his acts and his own 
name from disgrace. 

George Wilcox was a wreck of his former self, 
and the villagers of Great Hope would cast pitying 
glances at him on those rare occasions when he 
visited the village, remembering — many of them 
with sadness — the bright, vigorous and promising 
young man they knew so well, only a short time 
before. 

To return to Laudet. He did not appear at all 
aifected and remained apparently untouched, both 
mentally and physically by those demoralizing 
influences that surrounded him. His self-posses- 
sion never deserted him, for he still exercisetJ a 
perfect mastery over himself. He had been, in a 
manner, the cause of the ruin of dozens of prom- 
ising young lives, yet he passed through all un- 
scathed. 

To his wife he was ever considerate and even 
kind. He lavished a large proportion of his ill- 
gotten gains upon her comforts and he surrounded 
her with all the luxuries that money could buy, of 
which he usually appeared to have a super-abund- 
ance. After the explanation he had given Jose- 
phine, of which we have spoken in a previous chap- 
ter, she had never questioned him as to his com- 
ing or going. He would be away for lengthy peri- 


208 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ods, and then again he would stay at home for 
a long time, apparently quite happy and contented 
in the society of his wife. Josephine lived in the 
town of Antinil, about forty miles from Paris, so 
Laudet was able to go in and out of Paris with 
facility. 

He seldom took his wife to Paris, and then only 
on those days when he knew that his boon com- 
panions were otherwise engaged. Monsieur Laudet, 
as we have stated before, had gained a complete 
mastery over Josephine, and his every wish would 
take the form of a command to her. He was con- 
scious of the strong influence he exercised over 
his wife. He began to question himself whether 
or not it partook of the nature of hypnotism. One 
day, to satisfy himself, he tried an experiment 
with her. While casually talking to Josephine, he 
suddenly and abruptly said to her, ‘'Look at me, 
look at me, Josephine,'" and as Josephine looked up 
at him, he caught her eyes fixed immovably upon 
him. Laudet then passed his hands over her eyes, 
and found, as he expected, that he had an hyp- 
notic influence over his wife. 

To further carry out his experiment, he said to 
her, “Josephine, tomorrow at noon, I am going to 
have some friends come home with me to lunch. 
I will bring what is necessary in the way of food 
and wine from the city, but you must prepare the 
table for six of us. You will stay of course and 
have lunch with us, and you must look your best.” 

Having said this, he passed his hands over Jose- 
phine’s eyes, and said, “Wake up, Josephine.” 

Josephine gradually opened her eyes, and, rub- 
bing them, said, “Surely I have been asleep, Al- 
phonse. I feel so strange.” 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


209 


'‘You are only tired, my love,” replied Alphonso. 
“You have been busying yourself too much with 
your household duties.” 

“I do not think it is that, Alphonso, I have been 
anything but busy this morning,” answered Jose- 
phine. 

“Anyhow, go and lie down, my adored one. A 
little sleep will put you all right again,” urged her 
husband. 

The next day at noon, Josephine, to the sur- 
prise of her servants, ordered the table to be taste- 
fully set for six persons, and she arrayed herseir 
in her most becoming afternoon gown. 

Laudet, true to his saying, turned up promptly 
with ample hampers of food and several bottles of 
excellent wine. He was pleased to see that his 
suggestions had been acted upon. To test his wife 
further, he said to her, aside, after he had intro- 
duced his four friends, who were, however, legiti- 
mate business acquaintances of his, “How came 
my Josephine to know that I was to bring home 
four of my business friends to lunch, and that I 
also wanted to have her present?” 

To this Josephine could give no explanations, 
beyond saying that she was unconsciously impelled 
to do what she had done. The four friends he had 
brought home with him were four highly reputable 
men, with whom he occasionally transacted busi- 
ness. 

To do Laudet justice, he had never introduced 
to his wife a single rollicking companion, nor did 
any of these ever know or even suspect, not even 
George Wilcox, that Monsieur Laudet had a wife. 

On being ordered to London, Monsieur Laudet 
gave up his residence in France, and disposed of 


210 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


such goods and chattels he did not wish to tran- 
sport there. He purposed leading the quiet and 
respectable life of an attache to the diplomatic 
corps of his country. He had, as we have stated, 
largely recouped his fortune at the gaming tables 
of Paris, and was to an extent tired of the stren- 
uous and uncertain life he had been leading. He 
elected to settle down to a quiet life in London, 
and to aid Josephine to the best of his capability 
in bringing about a reconciliation between them- 
selves and her family. He was in his own way 
devoted to her, and he well knew that Josephine 
was fretting herself ill over her separation from 
her parents and sister. 

Laudet secured a fairly pretentious house in a 
fashionable district of London, and settled down, 
as he said to Josephine, to lead a godly, a sober, 
and a righteous life. 

One of the first matters that he attended to was 
to institute inquiries about Monsieur Dieulafoi, his 
father-in-law, and he learned that the fiery French- 
man had been very feeble of late, and that he 
was in fact failing fast. 

Josephine and himself had learned from Mr. 
Wilcox that Veronica had married Reginald Street- 
field, and further, that Reginald had been ordered 
out to India on active service, without his re- 
vealing to George, that he, himself was married 
to a sister of Streetfield^s wife, or, indeed, that he 
was married at all. 

Monsieur Laudet contrived to meet Veronica on 
the street one day, not far from her home, where 
he had placed himself in the hope of such an event 
happening. 

As for Veronica, she was entirely ignorant of 


BLESSED AKE THE DEAD 


211 


the black character of her brother-in-law, Mon- 
sieur Alphonso Laudet, and knew him only as 
Josephine's husband. She greeted him in a quiet 
cordial manner and inquired after her sister af- 
fectionately. Monsieur Laudet in his turn con- 
gratulated Veronica upon her marriage, and wished 
her good luck. He then entered upon a long dis- 
sertation as to the wretchedness and distress of 
Josephine, owing to the action of her family, in so 
long ignoring her and entirely discarding her, say- 
ing that they had come back to London in the hope 
of affecting a reconciliation. 

Veronica's heart was now torn by two great 
and conflicting affections and influences. The in- 
tense love she bore her twin sister, and the fear 
of breaking her oath to her father, and her deep 
affection for her parents. The great love she bore 
her sister, however, prevailed over the dread of a 
broken oath. She arranged with Laudet to meet 
him again at the same place next day. 

Veronica was now fully determined, at all haz. 
ards, to bring about a reconciliation between her 
parents and Josephine. She felt assured that in 
respect to her mother, it would be an easy 
task, but with the obstinate and fiery old Bona- 
partist, it would be a very difficult undertaking. 

On arriving home that night, she found that her 
father had been taken suddenly ill. She was aware 
that it would imperil his life should she in his 
present state of health broach a subject which 
would without doubt throw him into a paroxysm 
of rage that may prove fatal. She took her moth- 
er, however, into her confidence and told her of 
her meeting with Monsieur Alphonso Laudet, and 


212 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


also that Josephine was living in London, for the 
purpose of reconciling herself to them. 

The heart of Madame Dieulafoi, too, was torn 
with conflicting emotions, but, as in the case of 
Veronica, her love for Josephine overcame all other 
considerations. But all the plans and the subter- 
fuges they had thought out between them, to 
bring about a reconciliation between her father 
and Josephine, were to prove of no purpose. 

The old Bonapartist began to develop very grave 
symptoms, which their medical attendant said 
would be apt to end fatally within the next few 
days. 

Veronica and her mother kept a constant vigil 
at the bedside of the sick man. Now he was in 
the Italian campaign in the battle of Solferino, 
then again, he was in the thick of the fight at 
Gravelotte. The old man's mind wandered back to 
the scenes of his youth. He seemed to be un- 
conscious of his present environments, although at 
times he would fix his eyes on his wife and then 
on Veronica, and smile upon them pleasantly, and 
ask them how they were, and ask whether or not he 
himself was very much out of his mind. 

Madame Dieulafoi and Veronica concluded that 
it was best to have Josephine in the house, in case 
her father might call for her before he died. 

As for Josephine, the joy of her reunion with 
her mother and her sister almost overcame her, es- 
pecially under the circumstances of her father's 
lethal illness, and she longed to be reconciled to 
him before he died. She would stand at the door 
of his room and gaze on him as he wandered in his 
mind. She was shocked to see the change that had 
come over the stalwart man since last she saw him. 


BLESSED ABE THE DEAD 


213 


Then he was a man vigorous and hearty, and in 
his early fifties. 

Josephine was to have her wish granted. Mon- 
sieur Dieulafoi in one of his lucid intervals said 
to Veronica: “Where is your sister ,do you know?” 

“Yes, father, I do,” replied Veronica, trembling 
in anticipation as to what must follow. 

“I want to see my Josephine before I die. I 
know I am going to die, Veronica. My poor Jose- 
phine. Bring her to me, Veronica.” 

Then again would the distressed patient’s mind 
wander, and in a few moments it would clear and 
he was himself again. Looking around the room, 
and failing to see Veronica, he asked his wife, 
“Where is Veronica?” 

“She has just stepped out, my Edmund,” replied 
his wife. 

“Will you bring her to me?” demanded Mon- 
sieur Dieulafoi. 

Madame Dieulafoi, going to the door, called 
gently to her daughter, “Your father is needing 
you Veronica.” 

On Veronica’s reaching the bedside of her fath- 
er, he said to her, “Have you brought Josephine?” 

“Yes dear father,” replied Veronica. 

“Will you bring Josephine to me?” pleaded the 
father. 

“Yes father, dear,” replied Veronica, filled now 
with joy; she went out and led in Josephine by 
the hand, saying to her father, as they approached 
his bedside, “Here is Josephine.” 

“Oh, is that you, my Josephine?” eagerly asked 
the rugged old Bonapartist, gazing long and earn- 
estly at Josephine, who had seated herself on the 


214 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


edge of his bed, and reaching out she gently drew 
a hand of his between both of hers, and affection- 
ately caressed and kissed it. 

“Come here, my child, and lay your face against 
mine. Your father has been harsh to you. You 
will forgive him, will you not, my Josephine?"^ 

“Oh father, father, I have nothing to forgive. I 
should never have left you as I did. It is I, father, 
who have come to you to ask you to forgive me.” 

“My poor Josephine. How you must have suf- 
fered all this long time. Is that rascally republi- 
can kind and gentle to my Josephine? Come near- 
er to your father, child, and say you forgive him. 
There, thank you. You are a dear girl, as dear as 
your sister Veronica. Where is she? Where is 
Veronica? Oh, you are there? Come to my other 
side, Veronica, and do you kiss me as your sister 
Josephine. I deprived you, Veronica, of a sister. 
For that I ask your forgiveness. Keep her now, 
and cherish her. Oh, that rascally republican, to 
have taken her away from us!” Then the old man 
wandered off again. 

Again he plunged into desperate battles, 'and he 
would shout loudly, '‘Vive Vempereur, Vive Vem- 
pereur ” over and over again, and finally exhausted, 
he would fall into a brief slumber. 

Thus his sickness continued. For the last two 
days he had hardly been lucid. The medical at- 
tendant could do but little to assuage the distress 
of his restless spirit. On the last day of his life, 
he seemed to have regained his usual clearness of 
mind. He called Madame Dieulafoi to his side, and 
spoke to her of matters regarding his estates, 
which he had been striving for some time to have 


BLESSED ARE THE DEAD 


215 


restored to him in France, and expressed a wish 
that he be buried in France. 

Having concluded his instructions to Madame 
Dieulafoi, he asked for Veronica and Josephine, 
and requested them to sit beside him, one on each 
side of the bed, and to kiss him, one on each cheek. 

‘‘One last request your father asks of you both,” 
he said to them with great earnestness. “Both 
of you please go now to the piano and play 
for your father The Great Napoleon's Grand Bat- 
tle March, Play it, my children, as you used to 
play it, in those old days before Josephine went 
away, and as they played it in my regiment. Look 
well to your mother when I am gone. Good-bye, 
my two girls, you my Veronica, and you my Jose- 
phine. Go and play, as your father bids you. Kiss 
me once again, before you go.” 

The two girls kissed their father as he desired, 
in the same manner as they did before, and then 
went into the drawing room, and opened the piano 
widely, so that the notes could readily be heard in 
the sick man’s room, and no sound be lost to the 
dying vlarrior. They began playing The Grand 
Battle March of the Great Napoleon, which had 
so often thrilled multitudes. 

Veronica and Josephine played as they never 
played before. It was the dying request of their 
father. 

As the sublime sounds of that duet penetrated 
his room, the gnarled warrior sat upright in bed, 
an effort he had not made for days, enthralled, 
with the stirring and inspiring sounds of the 
Grand Old March. His gaze became fixed, his eye- 
lids widely opened, as to show the white above 
the pupils, which were dilated and his eyeballs 


216 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


staring, as if too large fdr their sockets. His 
mouth was tightly drawn. His breath was slow 
and deep. His nostrils were distended and his 
whole countenance seemed to radiate the glow 
kindled within his soul. His fixed eyes never re- 
laxed their gaze, as if looking into something far 
off and vainly striving to discern it in the dis- 
tance. 

Madame Dieulafoi supported him with an arm 
across his shoulders, in this transfiguration. 

Suddenly, with a wonderful volume of sound, the 
piano gave forth a flourish as if it were indeed 
the blare of a thousand trumpets heralding a glori- 
ous victory. 

The duet came to an end. 

The old warrior's countenance relaxed. His eyes 
lost their fixed and staring look. He recognized 
his wife who was supporting him. He threw one 
arm around her, and the other he lifted high 
above his head, shouting loudly as he vigorously 
waved it, **Vive Vepmereur! Vive V empereurV' 
Suddenly his whole body relaxed, his arms dropped 
to his sides, and he fell back a corpse. 


CHAPTER IX 


IRISH VALOR AND THE VICTORIA CROSS 
IN INDIA 

We shall have to carry our readers back with 
us to the little and inconsequential village of 
Great Hope. We have left there certain very 
interesting personages, whose acquaintance we 
have made in our earlier chapters. One of the 
items of interest which gave the town food for 
speculation and gossip for some days was the 
noteworthy news that Attorney Silas ThompsoK 
was contemplating a trip to Europe, and for no 
less a purpose than to be present at the celebra- 
tion of the nuptials of their quondam visitor, Mr. 
Reginald Streetfield. 

When Dr. J. Douglas Vernon gave up his prac- 
tice to accompany Mr. George Wilcox abroad, 
where Dr. Vernon expected to remain for some 
time to further his studies along certain highly 
specialized lines, and still more particularly when 
Phil Knox was chosen to accompany those two 
gentlemen, those items caused no little stir, and 
aroused no little interest in the quiet precincts of 
Great Hope, and among the neighboring folk but 
the wildest stretch of imagination of those natives 
could not have conceived Mr. Silas Thompson 
taking a trip to Europe and taking it, too, for the 
purpose of being present at the fashionable wed- 
ding celebration of a British aristocrat. The vari- 
ous reasons given and the various theories pro- 
pounded upon this extraordinary proceeding upon 
the part of Silas Thompson by these naive vil- 


218 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


lagers and mountain folk would make a quaint and 
respectable sized volume. 

If Silas Thompson had been questioned once, he 
had been questioned several times, and any inhabi- 
tant of Great Hope, who had failed to question Mr. 
Silas Thompson as to his contemplated journey, 
should he happened to have met him, was to be 
looked upon as a man not endowed with that 
modicum of intelligence which an all-wise Creator 
has given to each one of the human race. The 
questions put to Mr. Silas Thompson were all of 
the same tenor with but little variation, ‘‘Say, 
Silas, I hear you are going to Europe. Well, 
well, who would have dreamed it?'’ “When may 
you be starting, Mr. Thompson?" “Ever cross the 
water before, Silas?" “How do you like crossing 
the water. Si? I reckon you are not taken with 
that part of it, Silas ?" Then another who was ac- 
counted the village sage said to him: 

“Why, Silas, I said to my missus early this 
morning, says I, ‘what with Dr. Vernon leaving 
for Europe, and Phil Knox, and now there is Mr. 
Silar Thompson leaving,’ I said to her, ‘maybe, mis- 
sus, it will be my turn next.' My missus, she comes 
back at me, and says, ‘It would be no such luck for 
me, Jake, I am not that lucky, like that there little 
Phil Knox's wife.' My old girl, she has some 
sense of humor. You can just reckon she has, al- 
though you would not believe it if you see her." 

To all these questions Silas Thompson answered 
good naturedly, and generally in the same way, “I 
am going to Europe. “I am starting in a few 
days." “I have never crossed the ocean before, I 
reckon I shall like the sea trip." ‘T reckon it is 
so." “One can never tell what may happen.” 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


219 


‘‘Maybe I shall be gone for three months. Now 
you folks must behave yourselves while I am away, 
there will be nobody here to get you out of 
trouble. I should hate to see any of you in State’s 
prison when I get back.” 

One old settler sententiously and perhaps face> 
tiously remarked: “That there British Lord, who 
visited us some time back, has fixed up a 
villainous scheme to transplant the whole of the 
inhabitants of Great Hope to British soil, to vivify 
the decadent British stock that was fast degen- 
erating under the rule of aristocrats and effete 
monarchs.” This was, indeed, an occasion that 
sorely tried the imagination of those guileless peo- 
ple, and brought forth many scintillations of wit 
and wisdom. 

When Mr. Angus MacKenneth first heard the 
news, it must be confessed that he felt just a 
little hurt, as Mary and himself were not included 
in the invitation. He told Mary so, and said that 
had he been invited, he would just have loved to have 
taken his little girl along with him, and would 
have further taken the opportunity of visiting the 
demesnes of his grandsires, in the Highlands of 
Scotland. It was a matter of pride with Mr. Mac- 
Kenneth that he was conversant with the history 
of his family. He, like all of Scottish descent, 
possessed the prescribed amount of pride and pedi- 
gree. He was well versed in Scottish and English 
history, especially that part of it that included 
the massacre of Glencoe, and the history of all the 
Scottish clansmen as well. 

It was arranged that Miss Emily Lawrence was 
to stay with Mary while the Wilcoxes were away 
in England. 


220 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Mary MacKenneth was very much interested in 
the prospective journey of her uncle Si, and every- 
thing that he might possibly need on his journey 
was carefully and categorically gone over by her. 

Never did Mr. Silas Thompson feel himself of 
so much importance, for between Aunt Janet and 
Mary MacKenneth, to say nothing of the admoni- 
tions of Angus, he wondered whether Mr. Wilcox 
senior had had to pass through the same ordeal 
whenever he crossed the ocean. Silas had gone and 
come, and with him had returned Phil Knox, and 
to be sure, Phil Knox was the more important of 
the two. He assumed a supercilious and superior 
air when mingling with his fellow townsmen. 
When anybody ventured a statement he invari- 
ably elaborated and commented upon it, and would 
often flatly contradict it, and would wind up his 
emphatic dictum by saying, '‘You should have been 
with me in Paris, or in London, or in Vienna, or 
in Constantinople or in Jerusalem. 

He assumed to be a veritable encyclopedia to 
his unsophisticated companions. One would ask 
him, “What is the name of that there place you 
were telling us about, Phil?’’ and some of the more 
timid and deferential would even prefix the word 
Mr. to Phil, and address him as Mr. Phil. This 
did not detract in any way, you may be sure, from 
his conceit, or add anything to his modesty. 

“Traveling does sure learn a man a lot of 
things,” one of them remarked to another, in re- 
ferring to Phil Knox. As for Mrs. Knox, her hus- 
band now seemed to inspire her with a feeling of 
wonderment and awe. She could hardly bring her- 
self to believe that this was the same good-natured, 
careless Phil whom she had so often taken to task. 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


221 


She hardly dared to even mildly contradict him, 
and would listen patiently, and open-mouthed to 
his many grossly exaggerated tales of adventure. 

The description of Reginald's wedding festivities, 
which lasted three whole days, she would ask him 
to recount again and again. On each recital, Phil 
would add something more to his already gro- 
tesquely exaggerated narrative. 

Like all wonderful things, the wonder engendered 
by Silas Thompson's and Phil Knox's return slowly 
died down. You may be sure that Silas Thompson 
brought back many a pretty present for Mary, nor 
did he forget Emily Lawrence, for she too received 
many pretty presents from him, and from the Wil- 
coxes as well; and as for Angus MacKenneth, Silas 
brought him a most wonderful plaid of tartan, the 
Tartan of the Macdonalds, the clan that was mas- 
sacred at Glencoe, and a most appropriate and ap- 
preciated present, which Angus gratefully ac- 
knowledged to be the case. 

For a few months the villagers went the even 
tenor of their way. The next surprise was the 
sudden departure of Mr. Wilcox senior and his re- 
turn with his son George. Gradually the true 
state of affairs as relating to George Wilcox leaked 
out, and of course, Mr. Silas Thompson was the 
first to be apprised of the really sad condition of 
young Wilcox. Mr. Silas Thompson was perpetu- 
ally being pestered with questions by the inquisi- 
tive villagers, and it took him all his time and ex- 
hausted all his ingenuity to answer the various 
and pointed questions. The most effective way, he 
found, was to say that he did not care to speak of 
a matter he regarded as professional; and at other 
times, when his inquirers were more persistent 


222 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


than usual, he would revert to his legal phrase- 
ology, and divide himself and his hearers and 
George Wilcox into one, two and three parts, and 
would bring about an utter confusion of mind on 
the part of his hearers. ‘‘Now, let me see,” he 
would say. “Supposing you constituted me the 
party of the second part, and supposing you and 
I, as parties of the first part and second part 
agreed to constitute Mr. George Wilcox the party 
of the third part,” and so he would go on, until 
he had his hearers utterly confused and bewildered, 
and when he was through, he would say, “Well, 
John, I have given you all I know in the matter, 
and I have endeavored to make it plain to you.” 

“Oh yes, Silas, you surely have, if I can only 
get them parties straightened out in my mind,” 
John would remark. 

“Think it all over, John, think it all over. Law 
divides people into parts, you know, to prevent 
confusing one with another.” 

So John Smith had to be contented with the at- 
torney’s explanation, and would go away still try- 
ing to disentangle, in his mind, those various 
parties and parts, and to get the straight of it, as 
he would say to himself. 

Mary MacKenneth and Emily Lawrence were to 
be sent to an eastern academy to have the finish- 
ing touches given their education. 

Mr. Silas Thompson was repeatedly being sent 
here and there by Mr. Wilcox, senior, to get his 
son out of some scrape or entanglement, and to 
straighten out matters for him. 

Mr. Silas Thompson apparently seemed to have 
a monopoly of the unpleasant tasks of life but he 
regarded that as a part of the professional serv- 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


223 


ices, to be rendered his life-long patrons and 
friends. 

Here we shall leave these good people to solve 
their own doubts and problems in their own way 
and follow Sir Reginald Streetfield in his ad- 
ventures among the mountain passes of north- 
western India. 

Sir Reginald’s regiment, the 110th foot, had 
seen a good deal of fighting. The major had been 
killed, and Captain Brosby, as ranking captain, 
had been promoted to the rank of major. The 
senior Lieutenant of Reginald’s company, having 
been badly wounded, was invalided home to Eng- 
land. He would have been advanced to the rank 
of Captain, taking Brosby’s place. This left a 
vacancy, and Colonel Tom Tom had placed Reginald 
in command of the company, with the brevet rank 
of Captain. 

Bill Burke had now become Captain Streetfield’s 
orderly, and a right good faithful servant he made. 
Captain Streetfield’s company had been stationed 
in a small mud fort, which was so situated at the 
highest point of an angle, made by the junction of 
two lofty mountain ridges, as to command the val- 
ley on both slopes of these mountain peaks. 

The fort was fairly accessible from the inner 
slopes of these mountain ridges, but on the rear 
and the outer sides it looked down upon a sheer 
precipice of nearly a thousand feet. It was de- 
fended by several long range guns and pieces of 
mountain artillery, supplemented by machine guns. 

The fort was controlled on both sides by the 
sharply extended ridges of the mountain ranges, 
but its natural defensive position made it hard to 
assault and more difficult to capture. 


224 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Every few weeks a British column would make 
its way upward towards the fort, having to fight 
every foot of its way, in order to carry supplies to 
the defenders. The accommodations for the troops 
in the fort consisted of huts made of dried mud, 
and supplemented to a large extent with camp 
tents. 

Captain Streetfield, as commanding officer of the 
company and hence commander of the fort, oc- 
cupied one of the largest of these huts, which Will 
Burke immediately christened Streetfield Manor, 
much to the amusement of the men. At times 
the garrison would be signaled from a neighboring 
mountain peak and ordered to make a sortie with 
half their company, in a given direction. 

This activity was always welcomed, for life In 
the couped-up quarters of the fort was necessarily 
very monotonous. The garrison occasionally ven- 
tured out on a sortie and engaged the enemy in a 
brisk skirmish, and would lose some of the com- 
pany, but always managed to bring back their 
dead and wounded, for these fierce mountain tribes 
are notorious for mutilating the dead and wounded 
of the enemy should any of them fall into their 
hands. One of the largest of the mud huts was 
improvised into a hospital. Here the ingenuity of 
the young army surgeon would be often put to 
test, for single handed and without skilled assist- 
ants he would perform some of the most delicate 
operations, and Captain Streetfield would frequently 
volunteer to assist him; and, under the surgeon’s 
directions, would give the anaesthetic, in which 
service he soon became quite skillful. 

The doctor, on his part, as the second ranking 


’*1 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


225 


officer, would relieve Captain Streetfield when his 
duties permitted him to do so. 

Some weeks passed in this desultory fighting. 
Reginald heard from his folks at home as regular- 
ly as the mails could get through the enemies' 
lines. The long letters he received from Veronica, 
full of love and affection, were ever a source of 
inspiration to him. From his mother he received 
the most encouraging and loving epistles. Bill 
Burke was always pleased to bring letters to his 
Captain and his face would beam as he handed 
them to him, saying as he did so, “Sure, it will be 
indeed yourself sir, that will be joyous this day." 

Streetfield had been about four months on active 
service when he received a letter from Veronica, 
breathing all the joyousness of a pure and beauti- 
ful soul anticipating the advent of the most mo- 
mentous occurrence in her life — the next in happi- 
ness, she said, to her marriage to Reginald. She 
prayed fervently that this dreadful war would be 
over before that wonderful event happened, but 
should that not be so, she wanted her soldier boy 
to stay where his duty called, that she herself, she 
added, was the daughter of a French soldier and 
the wife of a British officer, and that she purposed 
being brave and courageous, as befitting the 
daughter and wife of a soldier. 

This news filled Reginald with joy, not, however, 
unmingled with apprehension and anxiety, and he 
longed to be near Veronica, in her hour of travail 
and distress. But stern duty kept him at his post. 
Fortunately for him, the days were replete with 
excitement. On one occasion he was compelled to 
take half his company and divide them again into 
two bodies, and proceed with one on each side of 


226 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the valley, until he cleared the mountain summits 
of sharpshooters who had ensconced themselves 
along the summits. It was exciting and dangerous 
work, but he was able to carry it out without any 
great loss of life. In doing this, however, he had 
inflicted severe loss upon the enemy. Reginald was 
so closely occupied that he could not And time 
to write excepting during the long hours of the 
night. 

Not long after the occurrence just related, the 
enemy with incredible labor had drawn up some 
artillery during the hours of darkness to the al- 
most inaccessible ridges of the mountain peak 
commanding the fort, and had swarmed up these 
ridges in immense numbers. As the day began to 
break, the enemy opened fire with their artillery 
upon the mud fort, and shells began to fall thickly 
and many burst within its confines, causing several 
casualties. 

The fort artillery, however, promptly silenced 
most of these guns. At this the enemy rushed the 
fort, trusting to their overwhelming numbers to 
overcome the resistance of the feeble garrison. 

The British used their machine guns to good ef- 
fect upon the on-rushing horde, and mowed down 
scores of them, but this did not apparently check 
their momentum, for they succeeded in ^ reaching 
the walls of the fort, and attempted to get their 
scaling ladders into position. 

From the top and ledges of the walls the Brit- 
ish machine guns were trained upon the enemy, 
who lost so prodigiously that they finally withdrew 
the remnants of their forces. It was the inac- 
curacy of the enemies' fire and faulty ammunition 
that saved the garrison. Not one out of five shells 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


227 


that struck the fort exploded. This is what really 
saved the garrison that day. The fight, while it 
lasted, was a desperate one, the garrison losing 
over thirty per cent of their effective force. With- 
in the fort a most grewsome aspect presented it- 
self, and the surgeon had his hands full for many 
days thereafter. 

Shortly after this encounter. Will Burke saved 
the garrison, or rather it was saved through his 
vigilance and his alertness. It came about in this 
manner. The losses caused by the enemies’ last 
assault upon the garrison were so numerous that it 
was greatly depleted. Being short of men. Order- 
ly Will Burke was detailed on picket duty. 

One night while keeping guard on that section 
of the wall of the fort overlooking the precipitous 
mountainside, Burke felt sure he heard a noise 
like the distant ticking of a clock proceeding ap- 
parently from the abyss below. He listened at- 
tentively, and attempted in vain to peer into the 
abysmal darkness. He immediately reported the 
occurrence to the commanding officer. Captain 
Streetfield, and he, after careful investigation, con- 
firmed Will Burke. The Captain was assured that 
he, too, heard the far distant ticking. “I believe 
the beggars are undermining the fort to blow us 
up,” said Captain Streetfield. Towards morning 
the noise ceased. 

Upon careful examination the next morning 
they could observe that there was an immense 
ledge or boulder of rock a hundred feet long and 
about fifty feet wide bulging out of the precipitous 
mountain side. 

The Captain immediately concluded that the 
enemy, taking advantage of the cover afforded by 


228 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the boulder, had proceeded to burrow upwards in 
order to lay a mine below the fort and blow it 
into the air. 

Countermining was immediately started, the 
work being carried on only during the day. The 
enemy could be heard ceaselessly working during 
the hours of the night. 

Thus it resolved itself into a race between them. 
The enemy had evidently struck horizontally just 
beneath the ledge, and, passing in far enough, had 
skirted around its inner margin, and had started 
burrowing upwards. The garrison had the ad- 
vantage of position, and after two weeks of in- 
cessant labor, they had their mine all primed and 
ready to be set off. 

They waited anxiously the coming of the night, 
as they purposed entrapping, if possible, the 
enemy's miners, who apparently were present 
there only during the night. When the time ar- 
rived to set off the mine, Streetfield listened at- 
tentively before doing so, for the tic-tac-tac sounds 
of the enemy's digging. Having assured himself 
that the enemy was there, he ordered the mine set 
off. 

Thre was a deafening roar, followed immedi- 
ately by a great noise caused by falling rocks. The 
next morning the garrison, to their delight, ob- 
served that a great chasm has been blown out of 
the mountain side, taking the boulder completely 
away with it. Henceforth they had a clear view 
and all danger in that direction was averted. 

Shortly after this the British expeditionary 
forces advanced against the enemy, who had re- 
tired into the mountain fastnesses. This proved 
to be a very crucial operation. 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


229 


Captain Streetfield was ordered to blow up his 
fort and to join the main body of his regiment 
with his company, the wounded being relegated 
to the rear. This he accordingly proceeded to do. 

The main body of the British forces had ad- 
vanced several miles ahead, and Streetfield fol- 
lowed up with his small company. He had thrown 
out his scouts well on either side and in advance. 
They had passed over several mountains, when 
suddenly out of a ravine, which abound in 
these elevations, a large body of the enemy that 
had concealed themselves therein, debouched and 
attacked the column in the rear. Captain Street- 
field's force was at this moment at the base of a 
hill, which they were preparing to climb. He im- 
mediately deployed his men, and, getting his guns 
into position, turned about and faced the enemy. 

The great strength, numbers and ferocity of 
the enemy soon endangered the very existence of 
the whole company, notwithstanding that, the 
enemy's front and flanks were repeatedly mowed 
down with rifle, mountain gun and machine gun 
fire, and great gaps torn into his center. They 
came on, however, in such great hordes that they 
threatened to smother out the scanty British force. 

Throughout their advance, the enemy kept up a 
constant fusillade of rifle fire. The plucky little 
British force was almost wiped out. Will Burke, 
who was helping at a machine gun section, noticed 
some yards above him a sort of rift or cleft in the 
mountain side, and after giving the enemy a tre- 
mendous broadside, he seized the machine gun, 
and with the aid of his companions, succeeded in 
dragging it up into the shelter of the cleft. This 
attempt was met with a shower of bullets on the 


230 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


part of the enemy, some of which were unfor- 
tunately effective. Nevertheless, they managed to 
reach shelter ,and, placing their machine gun un- 
der cover, they kept up a constant sprinkling of 
bullets upon the enemy. They were thus able for a 
time to keep the ferocious hordes at bay. 

Captain Streetfield had, with great presence of 
mind, dispatched a signaller to the top of the hill, 
to get into communication, if possible, with the 
main body of the British forces. 

Will Burke could see, from his elevated posi- 
tion, the remnant of the British force still making 
an heroic stand. He saw also his Captain serving 
a mountain gun, the gunners having been all either 
killed or wounded. Burke now trained his own 
gun on the oncoming assailants of his Captain, and 
kept .upon them a continuous peppering of ma- 
chine-gun bullets. 

Not long after this he saw his Captain fall and, 
instructing his companions to keep up their sweep 
of bullets, he dashed forward. On reaching the 
Captain's side. Bill Burke coolly aimed and fired 
the mountain gun, which had been loaded but not 
fired, owing to the loss of the gun crew and the 
wounding of Captain Streetfield. Having fired it, 
Burke removed the breech and lock in order to 
disable the gun, and carefully picking up his Cap- 
tain, he placed him across his shoulders, and pro- 
ceeded to carry him back to the shelter of the 
ravine. 

The bullets of the enemy in the meanwhile fell 
like hail all around him. But he seemed to have 
borne a charmed life, and successfully brought his 
captain under shelter. 

The few British soldiers, who still held on be- 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


231 


low, seeing this deed of heroism, gave forth a 
cheer. 

Will Burke and his comrades, did not cease for 
a moment to play their machine guns upon the 
enemy. The position, which he so fortunately dis- 
covered, was one of great natural advantage and 
they were able to successfully repel the ferocious 
attacks of the enemy. 

In small numbers the rest of the unwounded 
British Tommies made their way upwards toward 
the God-sent shelter, some bringing their machine 
guns with them, and some even dragging up a 
mountain gun. ,A11 the officers were either killed 
or wounded, not even a sergeant or corporal being 
spared. Will Burke took command of such rem- 
nants of the force that had found lodgement in his 
ravine. He even facetiously called himself Robin- 
son Crusoe, the lord of the ravine. 

With so much determination and skill did this 
small and gallant remnant defend itself, that it 
was plainly to be seen that the enemy was beginv 
ning to count his losses. These fierce Afridis de- 
cided to await the surrender of what was left of 
the British force. They felt certain that the Brit- 
ish would do this if only from lack of water and 
food. So they retired to a safe distance, and 
formed themselves into a cordon around the base 
of the hill. 

There were no possible exits of escape left the 
British forces, so the enemy decided to abide his 
time. But his expectations were not to be fulfilled, 
for in a short while distant firing was heard, and 
the Afridis were soon in a precipitous retreat. 

In the meanwhile. Captain Streetfield had re- 
covered consciousness. He had been struck on the 


232 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


head by a bullet, which evidently had been deflect- 
ed by his helmet, but it had tom his scalp open 
for several inches, and rendered him unconscious 
from its impact. He was able, nevertheless, to 
resume command of what was left of his company. 
There were barely twenty-five per cent left of 
them. 

The Captain surmised correctly that his helio- 
graph signaller had succeeded in attracting the at- 
tention of the main column, and had informed 
them of the precarious condition of the company. 
Immediately a relieving column was dispatched to 
their assistance. This column caught the retreat- 
ing Afridis in a net, and completed their destruc- 
tion, which Streetfield's gallant company had so 
well begun. 

The Captain's dead and wounded w^ere soon 
picked up by the relieving column, and the rem- 
nant of his force emerged from their cover, much 
to the surprise of the men of the relieving column, 
many of whom evinced a curiosity to survey this 
saving cleft in the hillside. 

Will Burke's part in the fight was soon made 
known, and he was hailed as a hero, nor were his 
brave deeds to escape official notice. They were 
duly recorded, and William Burke had the honor 
of being awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry 
in action. 

Captain Streetfield's wounds soon healed and he 
was able to completely resume his duties. 

It is not our purpose to follow the manoeuvers of 
the British forces. Sufficient to say, that after an 
arduous and active campaign of two months, from 
the date of the last action recounted, the enemy's 
forces were dispelled, and the rebellion was thor- 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


233 


oughly crushed. The movements of the 110th regi- 
ment were so uncertain during the period of ac- 
tive campaigning that although Reginald had con- 
trived to write home fairly regularly he had not 
received any mail for some time. 

He was therefore the more anxious to get back 
to a frontier military depot, where his mail await- 
ed him. Arriving there and having secured his 
letters, he locked himself in his quarters ; and, leav- 
ing orders with Bill Burke that he should not be 
disturbed except on important matters, he settled 
himself down to read his letters from home. 

There was a large number from Veronica, others 
from his mother, several from the Rev. Dr. Sharpe 
and many from friends scattered here and there. 
He glanced over the post-office dates of mailing 
and receiving of the letters written by Veronica 
and his mother, his purpose being to read them 
in chronological order. He noticed that all the 
letters from Veronica and his mother were 
written not later than two months before, although 
there were several from the Rev. Dr. Sharpe of a 
later date. 

However, he proceeded to read Veronica’s let- 
ter of the first date. The happy and joyous spirit 
of this letter seemed to inspire him with a great 
longing to be with her. He thereupon decided that 
now, the campaign being over, he would obtain 
leave of absence and go home immediately. Ver- 
onica could not very well come to him under the 
happy circumstance of her being. 

Each letter he carefully re-read, and in the last 
one she spoke of going to London to stay a short 
while with her parents. At this point he was in- 
terrupted. Some important regimental matters 


234 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


were being discussed and he had been sent for by 
Colonel Tom Tom. The Colonel informed him that 
he had been successful in securing for him the 
command of his company, and that his conduct 
had been mentioned in the dispatches, and was 
highly commented upon by the general command- 
ing the forces. 

Captain Streetfield thought it was a good op- 
portunity to broach the matter of leave to the Col- 
onel. He thereupon informed him of the condi- 
tion of Lady Streetfield, asking him under the cir- 
cumstances to indorse his application for leave. 

‘"Why, why, my dear boy! Here, let me offer my 
congratulations! Give me your hand. I trust it 
will be a boy, Captain Streetfield, and that he will 
be every inch a soldier like his daddy when he 
grows up and joins Her Majesty's forces. I will 
see that you get your leave, Captain, and more 
than that, I will stand Godfather to the boy, that 
is, if it is a boy. I have stood Godfather several 
times by proxy. I could tell by your radiant 
countenance, Streetfield, that you were the re- 
cipient of good news." 

Reginald thanked the good-natured Colonel, and 
having concluded the business he had in hand, he 
was eager to get back to his quarters and finish 
the perusal of his letters. He read through the 
letters from his mother. She, too, wrote in a 
happy cheerful vein, and Reginald registered an 
inward prayer of thanksgiving for having been 
blessed with so true a woman for his mother, 
guardian and friend, as she had proved herself to 
be to him, and also for so true and noble a wife. 
With a heart full of thanksgiving, he passed to the 
letters from the Rev. Dr. Sharpe. The first was 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


235 


from Scotland. In it he informed Reginald that 
he was on a trip to Scotland, and purposed going 
to Ireland before he returned home. Dr. Sharpe 
gave him the news of their neighborhood, of his 
wife and mother, both of whom he reported well, 
and bearing up wonderfully and bravely with his 
absence. 

The next letter from Dr. Sharpe was written 
from Ireland, and the third from London. The 
letter from London was written in a heart-broken 
strain. On reading it through, Reginald was utterly 
dumfounded, crushed and stupefied. The letter 
went on to relate how Monsieur Dieulafoi had 
died, and how Veronima was at his bedside un- 
remittingly ,and how, after they had decided to 
carry out the wishes of her father, to bury him In 
France, Veronica had accompanied Madam Dieu- 
lafoi with the remains to that country, and how 
she had unfortunately fallen down during the 
passage over the channel, sustaining internal in- 
juries, and that the next day she had had the great 
misfortune of a premature delivery, and that the 
little life had lingered but a moment after its 
birth into this world; and the saddest news of all, 
poor Veronica passed away most unexpectedly next 
day, and that her last words were, ‘‘Tell Reggie 
not to fret, tell him I have gone to our baby,” 
and further that Veronica was buried in France, 
beside her father, following the ardent wishes of 
her mother. Madam Dieulafoi. 

After reading this terrible news, Reginald was 
torn with agony. He blamed and censured himself 
for not staying by the side of Veronica. He made 
a great effort, and went on with the perusal of 
Dr. Sharpe’s letter. And what he read was 


236 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


enough indeed to crush the soul of any man. 

Dr. Sharpe went on to say that he was in the 
west of Ireland when he received the sad news of 
Veronica's death. He hurried back to Streetfield 
Manor, only to find that the shock of her death 
had proved to be the death blow to Lady Street- 
field, who, since his father's death, had sadly failed 
in health. That his mother had become unconsci- 
ous on hearing of Veronica's death, and had 
passed from one swoon into another, until the next 
day, when she died. 

Reginald immediately sent for Major Brosby, 
and Brosby was greatly grieved and affected when 
told of the death of his sister Dora, the dowager 
Lady Streetfield, but he was shocked beyond meas- 
ure to learn of the tragic death of Veronica. 

These two strong men were bowed down in 
grief and their* mutual sympathies helped in a 
great measure to restore their self-control. 

‘‘The heavier the cross the greater the crown, 
Reggie," said Major Brosby. “Come old man, you 
have been hard hit. How hard, God and yourself 
only know." Reginald related the conversation he 
had had with Colonel Tom Tom just a moment be- 
fore reading the sad news and how the Colonel 
had promised to indorse his application for leave, 
and he had even volunteered, he said, to stand 
Godfather to the child should it prove to be a son. 

‘You stay here, Streetfield. I must go and get 
the Colonel. He will never forgive me if he learns 
that you were in grief and I knew of it and 
did not ask his kind sympathy and aid. I must go 
and get him, Reginald. It will do you good to hear 
his kind and cheery voice and words of warm and 
heartfelt sympathy.” 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


237 


The good colonel was astonished beyond meas- 
ure, and greatly distressed to hear of Reginald's 
sad bereavements, and he hastened over with 
Brosby to do all he could to console Reginald, and 
to express to him his heart-felt sympathies. 

People may say what they like, but the genuine 
sympathy of a great soul goes a long way to as- 
suage the grief of those who mourn. Colonel Tom 
Tom was just such a big-souled man, and it would 
be untrue to say that his hearty and sincerely 
sympathetic words did not bring about a calmer 
feeling in the breasts of Reginald and Brosby. 

‘‘You better go home, Streetfield," the colonel 
said, “as soon as you can get there. Your pres- 
ence will be needed. You may start tomorrow if 
you care to. I will arrange your leave upon ur- 
gent private affairs." 

Reginald, who had revolved the whole matter in 
his mind, revolted at the thought of going home 
and finding both wife and mother dead and he 
concluded to stay in India, and keep steadily to his 
duties. 

This he felt would be the only means by which 
he could successfully counteract the terrible de- 
pression which he knew would overtake him from 
time to time, and if not resisted, would undoubted- 
ly overwhelm him. Reginald thereupon informed 
his colonel of his resolutions and his reasons for 
making them. 

“No doubt, no doubt, you are right, Streetfield, 
Such a sudden' shock and bereavement I am sure 
would completely overwhelm me. Give me your 
hand, my boy. God bless and comfort you. Any- 
thing I can do for you, you have but to ask. Good- 
bye, Streetfield, you too Major. You have lost 


238 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


your sister. I remember Lady Streetfield very 
well. She was exceedingly kind to me when I 
spent a few days at Streetfield Manor a few years 
ago. I have good reasons to remember her kind- 
ness. It is all too dreadful, but life is made up of 
just such dreadful things. It is full of vicissitudes, 
changes and griefs. There is often nothing left 
to us but to stand firmly and face our trials and 
sorrows manfully Time, Streetfield, is the only 
physician in your case. May he be lenient to you. 
Good-bye again, my two boys. You may be sure 
that my heart goes out to both of you.” Thus say- 
ing, Colonel Tom Tom left the two young officers 
to themselves. 

“It is no wonder that the whole regiment will 
go to the devil for the Colonel,” remarked Major 
Brosby, after the Colonel had departed. “Was 
there ever a greater soul placed in a body of a 
British officer? Our good brave Colonel, God bless 
him.” 

Streetfield had several letters from the steward 
of his estate, and found so far as business was 
concerned, all things appeared to be eminently 
satisfactory. These business letters he answered in 
due course. He also replied to those of the Rev. 
Dr. Sharpe, and informed him of his determina- 
tion to stay in India for some time to come, and 
that he had volunteered to join a scientific expedi- 
tion that the government purposed sending to 
Tibet, and that he had the powerful backing of 
his Colonel. He anticipated that the offer of his 
services would be accepted. He was to be, he said, 
executive of the military end of it. 

The mission was to be absent four years or more, 
and he instructed Dr. Sharpe to forward his let- 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


239 


ters in future in care of the government at Cal- 
cutta, and that they would know where to forward 
them from time to time. It was indeed a heart- 
rending task for Reginald to write to the doctor, 
as well as to reply to the other numerous letters 
of condolence and sympathy that had reached him. 

Bill Burke, now a full sergeant and a V. C., at 
that, had by the influence of Colonel Tom Tom, at 
the solicitation of Reginald, been granted permis- 
sion to accompany the Tibetian mission as personal 
attendant attached to Captain Sir Reginald Street- 
field, Baronet. 

Captain Streetfield had to busy himself with so 
many of those requirements that would have to be 
included in his equipment that it, in a great meas- 
ure, took him out of himself. 

Here we shall leave him and retrace our steps 
to the time when we witnessed the death scene of 
Monsieur Dieulafoi. 

To Veronica, after the death of her father and 
the reconciliation of her sister Josephine, the prob- 
lem presented itself whether or not it was her 
bounden duty to take her husband into her con- 
fidence, in all that occurred in regard to Josephine. 
After reviewing the whole matter in her mind, and 
taking into consideration the circumstance of Regi- 
nald’s absence on active service and so far away, 
she reluctantly concluded that it would be 
vfiser, after all, to await the time when she 
could more fully relate to him all the circum- 
stances that led to Josephine’s marriage, and the 
painful episode that followed. Having arrived at 
this decision, after the most careful consideration 
of all the facts bearing upon the matter, she felt 
a great deal easier in her mind, for she resented 


240 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


heartily anything that partook of the nature of 
a deception. The death of her father and the recon- 
ciliation of Josephine removed from her mind any 
hesitancy that she might have possessed relative 
to the oath exacted from her at the time of Jose- 
phine’s marriage, and the forcible reiteration of 
that oath at the time of her own marriage. 

It was the request of Monsieur Dieulafoi him- 
self, before he died, and the desire of Madame 
Dieulafoi, that the old Bonapartist be interred in 
the churchyard of their native village. Veronica 
and Josephine interposed no objections to this verji 
natural request and as we have already stated, the 
old warrior was buried as he desired. 

Josephine had not even hinted to her sister that 
Laudet was not all that she desired him to be. His 
consummate art of dissimulation completely de- 
ceived Madam Dieulafoi and Varonica. They, there- 
fore, treated him most cordially and even affec- 
tionately, as befitting the husband of a daughter 
and a sister. 

Veronica had of course informed her mother-in- 
law, Lady Streetfield, of the loss of her father, and 
also informed her that she purposed accompany- 
ing her father’s remains to France, where it was 
his wish to be buried. 

Monsieur Laudet had surrounded Josephine in 
her home in London with everything that she 
could possibly desire in keeping with his position, 
so that, when Veronica had occasion to visit her 
sister, there was nothing to indicate that Laudet 
was anything but a highly cultured French gentle- 
man attached to the diplomatic corps of his coun- 
try in London. 

Madame Dieulafoi, with her two daughters, and 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


241 


Monsieur Laudet, who was most assiduous and 
solicitous in his attentions to every want of 
Madame Dieulafoi, Veronica, and his wife, ac- 
companied the remains of Monsieur Dieulafoi to 
France. 

It was a bright and balmy day when they em- 
barked at Dover for Calais, but before long a 
choppy sea set in, which caused the vessel to roll 
considerably. 

Veronica had the great misfortune to trip and 
fall down the steps leading to her cabin. She was 
considerably jarred for the moment, but Madame 
Dieulafoi did not appear to be anxious, and con- 
sidered it a mere trifle. But in her condition, it 
proved to be far more serious than thought at 
first; and when Veronica reached her native vil- 
lage the next day she took alarmingly ill and dur- 
ing that same night was delivered prematurely of 
a boy, and all the skill of a famous physician, sum- 
moned from Paris, proved to be unavailing, and 
her great soul passed quietly into the Great Be- 
yond, whither her father had so recently pre- 
ceded her. 

Madame Dieulafoi and Josephine wished to have 
Veronica buried by the side of her father, which 
was accordingly done. The news was conveyed to 
Lady Streetfield by Josephine, writing in the name 
of Madame Dieulafoi. The shock was too great 
for her and she passed from one swoon to another, 
until she died the following day. 

The Streetfield family lawyer took the initia- 
tive and immediately telegraphed to the Rev. Dr. 
Sharpe, who was at that time touring the west of 
Ireland. It would be perhaps well to explain here, 
the silence of Josephine as to her own identity. 


242 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Veronica had taken Josephine completely into 
her confidence, as to her decision not to inform 
Reginald of Josephine's existence until he returned 
from war, and her reason for so doing, and Jose- 
phine fully agreed with her in the wisdom of her 
decision. Thus Veronica was buried with her 
father in France, her ashes to mingle with the 
ashes of her ancestors. All these harrowing events 
afforded Monsieur Laudet ample opportunity, of 
which he was not slow to avail himself, to in- 
gratiate himself into the good graces of his mother- 
in-law, Madame Dieulafoi. So successful was he 
in this, that she began to lean upon him and asked 
his advice in most matters. 

He purposed resigning his diplomatic position 
as soon as he had succeeded in having the se- 
questrated estates of the Dieulafois returned to 
the family. Towards that end he had instituted 
proceedings with the present government in 
France. Some of the most powerful men in that 
government had been warm friends of his father 
and, taking into consideration the fact that Mon- 
sieur Dielulafoi was dead, Monsieur Laudet, 
being thus powerfully supported, finally succeeded 
in having the estates returned to the family. 

Having this in mind was the real reason that 
Laudet urged the carrying out of Madame Dieu- 
lafoi's wish to have Veronica buried with her fath- 
er and the purpose he had in continuing to keep the 
knowledge of his own and Josephine's identity from 
the friends and relatives of Veronica; and, further- 
more, he prevailed upon Madame Dieulafoi to con- 
tinue to stay in France, and to dispose of anj 
property she possessed in London. 

Madame Dieulafoi decided to remain in France 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


243 


where her husband and daughter were buried. The 
Dieulafoi estates were fairly extensive, and had, 
during recent years, increased enormously in value. 

Monsieur Laudet resigned his diplomatic posi- 
tion and had himself appointed, by Madame Dieu- 
lafoi, the superintendent and steward of the Dieu- 
lafoi estates. She, as the months passed, became 
increasingly feeble, and reached a condition where 
she was unable to give the least attention to the 
affairs of the estate, and thus everything passed 
into the hands of Laudet. Monsieur LaudeVs 
main purpose was to keep the Dieulafois and 
Streetfields apart, and especially to keep the Street- 
fields from any knowledge of the restoration of the 
Dieulafoi's estates as he calculated that in the 
event of Madame Dieulafoi’s death, the whole es- 
tate would fall to Josephine, and thereby into his 
own hands. 

Any efforts that Sir Reginald Streetfield's at- 
torney may have made to gain any further infor- 
mation regarding Veronica, Laudet adroitly frus- 
trated. He managed the estates with great care 
and skill, and made many valuable improvements 
on them. Another precaution he had taken was 
to obliterate all traces of Veronica's grave. Ver- 
onica being buried next to her father, it was not 
a difficult matter, especially with the free use of 
money, and further than that, he succeeded, by the 
same means, in having even the records of Ver- 
onica's death destroyed. 

Thus Monsieur Laudet had brought it about that 
the Dieulafois and Streetfields were entirely sep- 
arated, one from the other, separated as if there 
had never been any union between the two 
families. 


244 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Josephine acquisced in all her husband’s decisions, 
which were invariably presented to her in the most 
honorable and altruistic colors. 

Madame Dieulafoi followed her husband to the 
grave in less than two years, and the vast Dieu- 
lafoi property fell into the hands of Monsieur 
Laudet. These two years were in every way the 
happiest in poor Josephine's life. The exemplary 
conduct of Laudet, his unfailing kindness and his 
rigid attention to the Dieulafoi interests led Jose- 
phine to hope that a new era had dawned upon 
her, and she was quite happy with her mother 
and her husband. 

For a year after her mother's death, Monsieui 
Laudet walked the straight and narrow way, but 
almost violently did his evil habits seem to re- 
turn to him, and he again plunged into a vortex 
of gambling and dissipation. Love of gambling 
seemed to be the cardinal and predominating evil 
in the character of Monsieur Laudet, and in its 
train followed other evils. With Monsieur Laudet, 
when he ceased to gamble he apparently ceased to 
be evil, but when he gambled, he grew to be the 
incarnation of evil itself. 

This much we have to say for Laudet, that his 
evil machinations never partook of the committing 
of any deeds of violence. In that respect, he was 
humane. He would give largely and free-hearted- 
ly to any cause of charity that had for its purpose 
the amelioration of physical pain and suffering, 
and to every kind and variety of eleemosynary in- 
stitutions. To his friends, he was at all times gen- 
erous; he would gladly loan a friend five thousand 
francs in the morning, and would take a satanic 


VICTORIA CROSS IN INDIA 


245 


delight in fleecing him of that sum in a game of 
cards that same night. 

By his own personal qualifications and natural 
gifts, and by his brilliant powers of mind, and his 
wide erudition — for Monsieur Laudet in his sane 
moments was a voracious and an omnivorous read- 
er, art, science, and! literature were! eagerly followed 
and carefully studied by him — Monsieur Laudet 
could have undoubtedly become one of the great 
men of the world, and have left an imperishable 
name behind him. But the fatal influence and spell 
of gambling would overtake him, and once having 
yielded, he would run the full gamut of its evil 
way. It is just this strange, inexplicable behavior 
of men like Laudet that gives color to the belief 
that perhaps after all, there may be a personal 
devil whose evil spirit seems to unexplainably 
clutch and hold the very souls of some men. 


CHAPTER X 


DEJECTED SUITORS 

Nearly six years have passed since first we visited 
Great Hope. That village looked identically as it 
did when we were first there, excepting, perhaps, 
that true to a happy inspiration, the churches had 
received a new coat of paint, and so also had the 
village school-house. These buildings stood out in 
pleasant relief against a background of less favored 
and less adorned structures. It is now summer 
time, and Mr. Silas Thompson could be found at 
his favorite seat, under the beautiful poplar trees, 
referred to before, still wrestling with truant 
sheets of paper, seduced from their safe moorings 
by truculent and vicious gusts of wind, or he could 
be found reading, or, what was more likely, en- 
gaged in an animated conversation with one or 
more of the villagers, and if one were inquisitive 
enough to listen, he would, almost without a doubt, 
have heard those legal expressions with which 
we have all become so familiar. 

Silas had long acquired, as we have already 
stated several times in the course of this narrativOj 
a habit of reducing all arguments and conversa- 
tions into various parts and so adoitly did he 
confound his hearers with these various parts, 
that before the controversy proceeded very far, his 
opponent would be so hopelessly confused that he 
would admit as a matter of self-protection Silas 
Thompson’s contention. ‘T wish you would leave 
out them parts, Silas,” the blacksmith would say. 
‘T cannot keep track of any of them, and when 
you bring four of them parts for me to pick and 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


247 


choose from, there is nothing left for me, Silas, but 
hitting the turnpike.” 

Years had set lightly upon Silas Thompson. He 
did not look a day older than when we first made 
his acquaintance over five years ago, though per- 
haps his expression may have appeared graver, 
and his features a trifle less mobile than of yore, 
as he sat this morning, under the old trees. 

A buggy drew up, and out leaped Mr. Angus 
MacKenneth, as powerful and athletic as ever, al- 
though a few gray hairs could be seen here and 
there on his head, as if struggling for recognition. 
His mustache and beard, or whiskers as they call 
them in Tennessee as well as in other states, 
were beginning to show streaks of gray. He had 
called to see Silas, as he desired to talk over cer- 
tain incidents that had recently happened to 
George Wilcox. 

These two men had often talked over the un- 
fortunate failure of George. Angus had very little 
sympathy for him, and he declared over and over 
again that all George needed was somebody who 
was able, like himself, to take hold of him and 
shake the daylight out of him. That his father, 
and more particularly his mother and sister Grace, 
had thoroughly spoiled him by their maudlin sym- 
pathy and pampering. As for Silas Thompson, 
after he had repeatedly divided the Wilcox family 
into four distinct parts, he was utterly unable to 
disentangle the knotty problem of George’s de- 
linquency and he concluded that it was an inex- 
plicable case beyond the aid of law and man. Hav- 
ing arrived at this, to him, logical explanation, he 
wisely decided not to worry about the matter any 
further. 


248 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Mary had come home from the academy in tho 
east, and so had Emily. These two young ladies 
had stayed there for three years and had re- 
mained at home since, until very lately, when 
Emily had accepted an invitation from a school 
friend to travel with her and her family over Eu- 
rope. Mary had also been invited, but her father 
did not wish her to go. “You and I will go some 
day together, Mary,” said her father, and this en- 
tirely satisfied her. 

Emily and Mary had grown into two very 
charming and beautiful women, and this was par- 
ticularly true of Mary. The fame of her beauty 
had spread all over that corner of the state of 
Tennessee, and she was often referred to as the 
most beautiful girl in the State. Her Uncle Si 
had christened her the Pride of Tennessee. 

Since George Wilcox’s downfall (we can find no 
better name for his moral lapse) the hearty 
friendliness existing between Angus MacKenneth 
and the Wilcoxes had to some degree waned. 

When George happened to be at home, which 
was seldom lately, MacKenneth and his daughter 
felt diffident about calling at the Wilcox planta- 
tion, and this gradually led to a coolness between 
the two families ; besides, the severe and outspoken 
condemnation of George’s conduct, by MacKen- 
neth, did not improve matters. As far as any con- 
templated union between George and Emily was 
concerned, that had been long abandoned. 

Emily’s revulsion of feeling against George 
seemed to increase as the days wore on, and she 
avoided him on every possible occasion, so much 
so, that when he was at home, Emily would in- 
variably stay with the MacKenneths until lie left 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


249 


again. Unfortunately for Mary, and for her peace 
of mind, George Wilcox had apparently fallen des- 
perately in love with her, and, much to her dis- 
comfiture, thrust his attentions upon her on 
every and all occasions. 

One day George met Mary on her way home 
from a visit to her Uncle Si, at Great Hope, and 
much to her annoyance he offered to accompany 
her home. This she could not very well decline. 
On the way George had the temerity to declare his 
love for her, and begged her to marry him as the 
only hope of his regeneration. He attempted to 
caress and even to kiss her. 

Miss Mary MacKenneth repelled these advances 
with the utmost dignity and self-possession, and 
even graciousness. She was sorry for George for 
as a girl she had always liked him. He had done 
many little kind acts for her and she had more 
pity for him than anger. 

She very quietly and firmly told George that he 
must never again mention love to her, that as far 
as she was concerned it was utterly impossible to 
care for him, and that although she did not wish 
to appear prudish, or to affect a stage attitude, he 
must never again attempt to caress or kiss her, as 
he had done. 

At this George fell into a great passion, and 
said he would still marry her in spite of her re- 
fusal at that time, and that Mary spoke as she 
did because she was still in love with that young 
prig of an Englishman, Reginald Streetfield, that 
it served her right as he did not care for her at 
all, which he had clearly shown by marrjing an- 
other; but now, knowing as she did, that Regi» 
nald’s wife was dead, perhaps Mary was living in 


250 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the hope of still being Lady Streetfield, but he did 
not think for one moment that an English baronet 
would consider a mountain girl of Tennessee. 
These remarks of George so greatly disconcerted 
Mary, and were such a direct and gross affront to 
her, that she angrily asked him to desist from 
seeing her any further on the way, and warned 
him, that if he still persisted in doing so, she 
would have to appeal to her father for protection 
against his continued annoyance, but that for the 
present, she did not purpose acquainting her father 
as to his conduct and his gross and insulting re- 
marks to her, but if he should ever obtrude upon 
her again or address her in such a way as he had 
done, that she would most certainly inform him. 

George Wilcox had a wholesome dread of his 
uncle Angus MacKenneth so he churlishly badehei 
good evening, turned on his heels, and^ left her. 

Sir Reginald Streetfield had consistently en- 
deavored to keep up his correspondence with his 
college chum and companion, George Wilcox, to 
whom he was genuinely attached; but George had 
long ceased to answer his letters, and all corres- 
pondence had ceased between them. Sir Reginald 
and Silas Thompson, however, had kept up an 
unbroken and faithful correspondence. Sir Regi- 
nald had asked Silas Thompson, in one of his let- 
ters, as to the reason of George's continued silence, 
and Silas had hinted in the most delicate way that 
George had not been quite himself lately. This 
correspondence of his with Sir Reginald was one 
of the joys of his life and he looked forward with 
eagerness to the arrival of these letters. 

Mr. Thompson had followed Sir Reginald all 
through his experiences in India, and through that 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


251 


harrowing period of his life following the news of 
the death of his wife and mother. 

Silas Thompson’s letters breathed the fervent 
sympathies of a great and unblemished soul, and 
proved to be a fountain of hope and encouragement 
to Reginald in his hour of trial, His letters never 
failed to mention the many friends of Reginald in 
Great Hope, — Angus and Mary MacKenneth, Mat- 
thew Stephens, Dr. Vernon, Grace Wilcox, Emily 
Lawrence, and some others. He told Sir Reginald 
about Mary’s going away to school and coming 
back, and of Emily’s trip to Europe ; but he barely 
mentioned George Wilcox, excepting in the most 
casual way. 

Silas usually read Sir Reginald’s letters to Mary, 
in which he seldom failed to ask after her, and to 
be remembered to her. To Mary, her recollections 
of Sir Reginald had always been pleasant, and she 
too grieved when Uncle Si told her of Regi- 
nald’s great bereavement in the loss of his wife and 
mother. Mary had not very long before that 
event heard Uncle Silas recount the incidents 
of his wedding, and all that happened at that 
time. 

Notwithstanding the recent rude behavior of 
George Wilcox, Mary remembered him as he was in 
the days of old, when she used to see him walk 
spryly and proudly with Sir Reginald Street- 
held. Her memories of Dr. Vernon, too, were 
pleasant. He had returned from his studies abroad, 
and had settled in Philadelphia, a specialist in 
his chosen line of work, and was making a name 
for himself. He was still unmarried, but the good 
dames of Great Hope had long since ceased to take 
any interest in him in that respect. 


252 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


At regular intervals Dr. Vernon would visit 
Great Hope, in expectation, perhaps, of being of 
some use to George, but his efforts in that di- 
rection proved futile. Dr. Vernon generally con- 
trived to see Mary MacKenneth when he visited 
Great Hope. On one of these visits he had asked 
Angus MacKenneth for the hand of his daughter, 
and Angus MacKenneth had bluntly referred him 
to Mary. 

“If the lass will have you, doctor, I will have 
nothing to say against it. You have always shown 
yourself to be a good, honorable man, and any man 
ought to be proud to give you his daughter’s hand 
in marriage, but you must ask Mary, not me.” 

The doctor warmly thanked Mr. MacKenneth for 
his encouragement and went in search of Mary, 
whom he found perusing a book under the shade of 
a magnolia tree. 

After heartily greeting her. Dr. Vernon lost no 
time in stating the object of his search for her. It 
was to tell her, he said, how he had loved her for 
years, from the time when she was a girl of six- 
teen; and how his love had grown with her years; 
and that he had waited all this time until he had 
made a name and position for himself in his pro- 
fession worthy of her; and that all his efforts in 
life had been towards that end, so that he could 
consistently ask her to be his wife ; and that he was 
sure he would make her very, very happy if she 
would only confide in him, and trust him with her- 
self. 

Mary MacKenneth had, from the first, an ad- 
miration for the doctor, but she had never con- 
templated such a possibility as his being in love 
with her. Yet when she now recalled many little 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


253 


incidents she could readily believe the truth of his 
assertions in regard to his long years of love and 
devotion ; and Mary, too, like normally consti- 
tuted and well brought up girls, looked forward to 
the time when she would possess a nest and fledg- 
lings of her own. 

Dr. Vernon was an exemplary man, of excellent 
bringing up, highly educated, a well read and trav- 
eled man and from a material and worldly stand- 
point, he had made a wonderful position for him- 
self in the medical world, and was therefore an ex- 
cellent match for any girl. And she did not know 
on what grounds to refuse him. “From the stand- 
point of looks?'' No, because, as men go, he would 
be considered decidedly good looking. “From 
habits and character?" No, because he was exem- 
plary and exceedingly well brought up and of an 
unblemished character. “From the standpoint of 
disposition?" No, because Mary knew full well his 
kindly nature, and his more than amiable disposi- 
tion. “From his want of general knowledge?" No, 
Dr. Vernon had clearly proved his intellectual ca- 
pacity. “On material grounds and possessions?" 
No, because he had established, young as he was, 
an enviable position in the medical world and en- 
joyed a large income therefrom. 

Her refusal could only be based on a personal 
motive. She did not love him, yet she greatly ad- 
mired and respected him. Love, she had been told 
and often read, took its foundation in admiration 
and respect, more particularly respect. 

Mary found herself drifting, and felt that she 
was lost if she did not venture to bring forward 
some excuse for refusing him. 


254 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘'Speak, Mary, will you marry me?” pleaded Dr. 
Vernon. 

This gave Mary the opportunity for which she was 
grasping, and she said to Dr. Vernon, “But I do not 
love you. Dr. Vernon. I believe you when you say 
that you have loved me all these years, but what 
about me? I do not love you.” 

“You respect me, do you not, Mary?” asked the 
doctor. 

“I do, indeed. Dr. Vernon. Not only do I respect 
you, but I admire you,” returned Mary, sincerely 
and earnestly. 

“Love will come after marriage if you respect me 
as you say you do. It always does, Mary,” pleaded 
the doctor again. 

“That perhaps is true, Dr. Vernon, iif many 
cases. Will it prove true in mine?” 

Mary began to feel her power, and was going 
to use it to her best endeavor to defend herself, 
for otherwise she knew that she was lost. She in- 
stinctively felt that this was one of the crucial 
moments in her life. She did not love Dr. Vernon, 
no matter how much she admired and respected 
him, and she certainly was not going to consent to 
marry him under those circumstances. 

“Come, Mary, you are going to marry me, are 
you not? Your father has already consented to 
my asking you. It is now for you to say. I have 
told you how fervently and truly I have loved you 
for so many years,” earnestly pleaded Dr. Vernon. 

At this juncture a happy inspiration came to 
Mary, pointing a way out of the danger she was in 
of being persuaded into consenting to marry a 
man she did not love. 

“Do you know. Dr. Vernon, that I have already 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


255 


refused one offer of marriage, and I will tell you 
from whom. From George Wilcox. I am afraid 
I deeply wounded his amour 'pro'pre, but he is a 
different man from you in every way. He has 
proved himself to be utterly worthless, while you 
have been good, generous, manly and noble. Quite 
a different man altogether from George Wilcox. A 
man that any girl should be proud to marry. It 
was an easy matter for me to refuse George Wil- 
cox. To do otherwise would be sheer madness, 
whether I loved him or not. And of course I do 
not love him, or ever have, or ever could. He had 
no right to propose to me, while you. Dr. Vernon, 
have every right, and I am conscious of the honor 
you are doing me, which makes it all the harder 
for me to refuse you; but I do not love you. Dr. 
Vernon, and I cannot consent to being your wife.’’ 
All this Mary said in a sympathetic and kindly 
manner. 

‘'Mary, you must not, you cannot refuse me. 
Think it over. Talk it over with your father, and 
let me know your answer to-morrow,” entreatingly 
urged Dr. Vernon; but she was not going to lose 
her point of vantage. She made up her mind to 
settle the matter there and then, once for all. She 
knew' if she hesitated she was lost, because she was 
aware of her father’s great predilection and ad- 
miration for Dr. Vernon. If she appealed to him, 
Mary felt she was indeed lost. So she said, 

‘T will not keep you in any further suspense, Dr. 
Vernon. I do not love you, and I cannot consent to 
marrying you. You know we are of Highland stock 
and our passions are both deep and strong, and I 
cannot marry a man I do not love, with every fibre 
of my being. I have no such feeling for you, and 


256 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


I am not going to marry you. I wish, indeed, that 
I did love you; I am sure you would make me 
very, very happy. Please let us now go in.” All 
this Mary said most earnestly and decidedly. 

‘T am grieved beyond words, Mary. Perhaps you 
are right. If you do not love me, and feel that you 
cannot, it is best then as you say. I am grateful to 
you for your candor; but, as you say, you are of 
Highland stock and speak out your feelings. That 
is characteristic of that race. We shall be friends 
at any rate. Let us try to forget what has taken 
place here today.” 

'T want you to believe me when I say. Dr. Ver- 
non, that I have always regarded you as one of the 
best of men, and now you have, indeed, proved 
yourself to be so. The woman who loves and will 
marry you is truly fortunate, and to show you 
how much I trust you and respect you I am going 
to kiss you just to prove to you that I am, in- 
deed, to be a true, and I hope trusted, friend to 
you in the future.” With that Mary MacKenneth 
gave him a hearty kiss on the cheek, saying, “Let 
us go in now and see what father is doing.” 

“Mary, before we go in, I want to ask you to do 
me a small favor. Years ago, when in Venice, I 
purchased this locket for you, and I kept it this 
long time, just for this occasion. Will you accept 
it from an old and dear friend of your girlhood 
days, and should you at any time in life need a 
friend, I will come immediately to your assistance, 
no matter where I may be, that is, of course,” he 
added, “if I am still alive. Will you accept this 
locket as a token of that promise?” He said this 
so seriously, and with so much emphasis, that 
Mary burst out laughing, and so did he. 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


257 


and they went towards the house together, laugh- 
ing heartily. Thus ended the second proposal that 
Mary had received in a short time. Taking the 
locket and chain she said, ‘‘Of course I will keep it. 
Dr. Vernon. But what a singular covenant! It 
savors of knight errantry. Please accept my warm- 
est thanks. What a chaste piece of work it is. I 
shall keep it as a remembrance of your kind- 
ness and goodness to me since firsf I met you when 
a girl.” Dr. Vernon then placed the chain and 
locket around her neck. 

“Oh, it is just a notion of mine, Mary, and iVs 
kind of you to humor me. Let us now talk of some- 
thing else. You remember the Crampton baby with 
whom you stayed up all night? I had to stay too. 
Remember that? I want to make a confession. I 
was guilty of a deception on that occasion. There 
was little danger to the child, although the symp- 
toms were apparently alarming. It was not the 
child that was sick at that time, it was I, Mary, 
and I had long since determined that if we were 
ever married I was going to tell you about it; 
but now that we have decided that we are not to 
marry, I am going to tell you anyhow. It was I 
that was sick, not the child — sick for the love of 
you, Mary.” 

“How could you ever think of doing anything so 
machiavelian. Dr. Vernon, and there I was so 
wrought up over that poor child. I very clearly 
remember it, I thought at the time how good and 
kind you were. You should not have told that story 
on yourself. You have spoiled a very good one for 
me. I have told the incident to so many and I have 
praised your devotion so much, and now you have 
spoiled it all.” 


258 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘Tt was true devotion, Mary, but not to my work. 
It was to you. I have always been fond of my work 
but my devotedness on that occasion was a means 
to an end. It was to be, as I thought at the time, 
the opening of a pathway to a greater reward, but 
that, alas, is not for me. But let us change the sub- 
ject, and revert as the militarists say, to the status 
quo” Thus, with kindly tact, did the good doctor 
try to save his friend from further embarrassment ; 
for which she was grateful. She greatly appreciated 
his efforts and his rare delicacy of feeling. 

Having reached the house, the conversation 
drifted into different channels. They had both, by 
this time, quite recovered their equanimity, and 
there was nothing in their conversation or be- 
havior from which Angus MacKenneth could draw 
any inference. 

Dr. Vernon received the full force of the blow 
and he had met it courageously and manfully, and 
he resolved that from that time he would school 
himself, hard as it might be, to forget Mary. He 
was convinced that it would be useless for him to 
further pursue an ignis fatuus. He had fought for 
her, honorably, and lost. He purposed being a good 
loser, with ill will toward no one, more especially 
least of all toward Mary. 

The doctor’s nature was one in which the sense 
of justice had been developed, and when a matter 
of simple justice was once brought before him he 
could not give a verdict against it. Thus it was 
in regard to Mary and himself. To him, in the fu- 
ture, she was to be nothing more than an old friend, 
and he would not permit even a trace of malice in 
that relationship. He even began to think friendly 
of Reginald; and, for Mary’s sake, he wished that 


DEJECTED SUITORS 


259 


events would so shape themselves that Mary might 
perhaps find in him her true partner in life. 

Mrs. Wilcox and Grace Wilcox kept very much 
to themselves and to their own devices. Grace used 
to be very proud of and so wrapped up in her 
brother George, that when she learned of his way- 
wardness, she was touched to the quick, and she 
brought all her sisterly affection to bear upon him ; 
and, doubtless, she must have influenced him to 
some degree. 

The mother and sister regarded George’s case as 
simply mental; and on that hypothesis they had 
traveled to New York, to Boston, and to Philadel- 
phia, to consult certain eminent alienists, or in- 
sanity specialists, to see that if they could not help 
to bring George's mind back to its normal state. 
Some of these men agreed with the mother and 
sister in their view that George’s behavior was 
due to a disturbance of the mind, or an injury or 
shock that had disarranged his mental equilibrium. 
Others, again, gave it as their opinion that it was 
a clear case of perversion of mind, and that if 
George could be placed as a sailor before the mast, 
his whole physical being would undergo a complete 
metamorphosis, and that this in its turn would 
bring about salutary changes in his psychical na- 
ture. With these diametrically opposite opinions, 
Mrs. Wilcox and Grace had to remain content. 

In regard to Phil Knox and his wife, we have 
to confess that at certain intervals, when the 
moonshiners were more than generous with their 
gifts of demi-johns of illicit whiskey, Phil would 
forget all his promises, and leave the narrow way 
of a strictly temperate life, and it is almost in- 


260 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


credible to state that even on these heinous occa- 
sions, Mrs. Knox would refrain from taking him 
to task, but would pour the vials of her wrath 
upon the moonshiners for supplying the means of 
temptation to her poor Phil, who had not indulged, 
she said, in any spirituous comfort all the time he 
was away from those dreadful men in the moun- 
tains. It may be mentioned en passant that Mrs. 
Knox's employer, the doctor, who had succeeded to 
the practice of Dr. Vernon, had proved to be a 
successful physician, and was greatly liked by the 
community; and that Mrs. Knox had been equally 
faithful in her duties to him, as she had been to 
Dr. Vernon, his predecessor; and barring the fre- 
quent gifts to her husband of mountain whiskey 
and his subsequent performances, she declared 
herself perfectly happy and contented in that 
sphere of life into which the Almighty had chosen 
to place her; but she declared that she had her 
cross to bear, and it was hers to bear, and for 
nobody else, and she was carrying it with Chris- 
tian fortitude, resignation, and patience. That 
frame of mind, however, did not deter Mrs. Phil 
Knox from accepting a position as housekeeper to 
Dr. J. Douglas Vernon at Philadelphia at a greatly 
increased remuneration, Phil being also engaged 
as special attendant upon the doctor. 

Mrs. Phil Knox solemnly asserverated that this 
was in direct answer to her fervent prayers to the 
Almighty, to interpose Himself to separate her 
dear husband Phil from his friends, the moun- 
taineers, and their horrid whiskey. Thus it came 
about that Phil Knox and his wife passed again 
into the service of Dr. J. Douglas Vernon of Phil- 
adelphia. 


CHAPTER XI 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 

When last we heard of Captain Sir Reginald 
Streetfield, he was busily engaged in preparing for 
the expedition into Tibet, very materially assisted 
by Sergeant William Burke, V. C., who showed the 
greatest solicitude in providing everything that 
might pertain to the comfort and well being of his 
military chief. 

After much patient and strenuous effort, the 
expedition was finally organized, and was ready 
to start on its arduous and perilous mission. Hav- 
ing received its final instructions, the mission 
started on its dangerous journey over the Hima- 
lajT^an mountains. 

As the mission was organized for the purpose 
of collecting certain scientific , data, its personnel 
consisted of highly scientific men. Captain Street- 
field was placed in command of twenty-five Gour- 
kar soldiers, the only defensive force of the expe- 
dition. 

It had taken nearly five months to secure all the 
important and indispensable articles, implements, 
and scientific instruments. This interval afforded 
Sir Reginald Streetfield ample opportunity and 
time to bone up, as they say in the army, that is, 
to study the native languages or vernacular of 
Nepaul and of Tibet so that he could consistently 
and successfully command his section of Gour- 
kars. The Government was desirous in every way 
to avoid giving the mission a military complexion. 

We do not purpose relating the many strange 
experiences and adventures encountered by this 


262 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


expedition as it went over the mountain passes 
into Nepaul. After passing through that country, 
it continued north again, until the mission finally 
reached its prospective destination. 

Nor shall we describe nor name any of those 
eminent men of science who formed the raison 
d’etre for that expedition and mission. Not only 
were they scholars and scientists, but gentlemen 
also of the most amiable and kindly nature and 
disposition. 

To be thrown day after day, and night after 
night, into the company of such profoundly 
erudite men, was a source of education and in- 
struction to Captain Streetfield. Nor did he fail 
to take the greatest advantage of his opportuni- 
ties. After a fatiguing day of travel, the mission 
would camp for the night, fires would be lighted, 
and all would sit wrapped in their heavy 
fur coats around the glowing embers, their heads 
ensconced in their large fur caps. Then with light- 
ed pipes the conversation would fiow in many 
channels, embracing many topics, to be interrupted 
for an interval for the disposal of supper and then 
to be resumed until sleep overtook the party. 

Oh, the splendor of the heavens on those won- 
drous starry nights! Seen from lofty mountain 
peaks it would bring home to those men the sub- 
lime words of the Psalmist, ‘The heavens declare 
the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His 
handiwork."’ 

The Gourkars kept vigil over their slumbers, 
and not infrequently the party would be abruptly 
awakened by the firing of rifles, as the guards dis- 
posed of several wolves that were sneaking around 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


263 


the encampment and the pack animals, tethered 
just on the confines of the camp. 

With so much exertion and with so many inter- 
esting and important details to consider, and with 
such excellent companionship. Sir Reginald's time 
and thoughts were fully occupied. It was at night, 
as he slept under the glorious canopy of stars and 
looked into its immeasurable depths, that the 
awful immensity of the space that separated him 
from Veronica would come home to him and the 
thought would overwhelm him for the moment. 

But these periods of reflection became less and 
less poignant as month after month passed and 
as Reginald became more and more absorbed by 
the fascination of the great work in which the 
scientists were engaged. 

After the first year had passed, he seemed to 
have recovered much of the buoyancy of his dis- 
position. Will Burke, on the other hand, proved to 
be an inexhaustible source of wit and merriment 
to the party. He would often call into play his 
keen Irish wit to lighten the labor and make less 
dispiriting some particularly irksome duty. As 
we have said before, it is not the purpose of this 
narrative to follow the almost interminable labors, 
and almost inconceivable efforts, of the members 
of this expedition. Suffice it to say that after a 
stay of over four years, the scientists had acquired, 
and collected, and arranged, and recorded all their 
data, and they turned their faces towards India. 

So much satisfaction did Sir Reginald give, in 
the performance of his duties, as commander of 
the military escort of the mission, and the able 
way he arranged many delicate matters, that 
would from time to time crop up in the dealing 


264 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


with the various and often times ferocious tribes, 
which the mission encountered on its journey to 
and from Tibet, that there had not occurred one 
incident of friction that involved the firing of a 
single shot. The Gk)urkar soldiers acted splendid- 
ly, and were ever eager to carry out Sir Reginald’s 
commands in every detail, so as to not incur in 
the least way his displeasure ; so much, indeed, had 
these Gourkar soldiers become attached to Sir 
Reginald. And he, on his part, was ever scrupu- 
lously just and patient with them. 

The government in recognition of his fine serv- 
ices accorded him their special thanks. 

On reaching Calcutta, Sir Reginald found a large 
accumulation of letters awaiting him, and all of 
them needed his attention. The rentals from his 
estates had accumulated to such an extent, that 
his steward informed him that he had made many 
investments in mines, and other enterprises in the 
United States; and, further, that these investments 
had proved to be most profitable, and that the 
returns had far exceeded his anticipation. Sir 
Reginald found that, while he was away, the judi- 
cious investments made by his faithful steward of 
surplus funds had made him wealthier than ever. 
Wealth had never had but a passing interest for 
Sir Reginald. He was the least covetous of men, 
and his stringent instructions to his steward were, 
that no tenant of his should ever pay a rental that 
was in the least way a burden to him, and that 
his first consideration was the looking after the 
well-being of his tenantry. 

Sir Reginald soon got into communication with 
Major Brosby. Colonel Tom Tom was away in 
England on leave of absence, and the Major was 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


265 


stationed with the 110th at Umballa, and in tem- 
porary command of the regiment during his Colo- 
nel's absence. Sir Reginald decided to go to Um- 
balla and spend a few days with his foster Uncle. 

The two friends had a great deal to impart to 
each other, and many a night did they sit into the 
early hours of the morning, listening to the recitals 
of the various interesting incidents that had oc- 
curred to each during that period of separation. 
The Colonel having returned. Major Brosby in- 
sisted that Reginald should accompany him on a 
short visit to his mother, who at that time was liv- 
ing at Mahableshwa, a hill station near Bombay. 
Here Mrs. Brosby received her son and Sir Regi- 
nald with much motherly affection. Here also did 
Reginald find one of his mother's sisters, who had 
married an officer in the Indian Civil government. 
After spending two weeks at Mahableshwa, the two 
friends journeyed south to the Madras Presidency 
to visit a brother of the Major's, who was in the 
missionary field there, and a sister who was 
staying with him; and truly delighted were they 
to welcome the Major and Sir Reginald. All the 
Brosbys were greatly attached to Reginald and 
were genuinely glad to see him. 

Having duly paid his respects to his mother's 
relatives. Captain Streetfield decided to take ad- 
vantage of his regulation leave, which, under the 
special circumstances of his case, he could extend 
to two and a half years; and, as Colonel Tom Tom 
had returned to the command of his regiment. Sir 
Reginald prevailed upon the Major to apply for 
leave, too, and to accompany him to England. 
Leave was also obtained for Sergeant William 
Burke and Harry Brooks, as these two were, by 


266 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


no means, to be denied accompanying their mili- 
tary superiors. Harry Brooks at this time had 
attained the rank of Color Sergeant. They had, 
through the influence of Colonel Tom Tom, and by 
their own meritorious services obtained as a spe- 
cial favor a temporary exemption from regimental 
duties, without pay, for the period of Major Bros- 
by's and Reginald's leave. 

They purposed to land at Marseilles, and to pass 
through France via Paris to England, for Sir Reg- 
inald devoutly desired to visit the grave of 
Veronica. 

They reached Paris in due course; and after 
some difficulty, were finally able to learn some, 
thing about the Dieulafois; being Huguenots, it 
was not hard to find the graveyard in which all of 
that faith had been buried. They found a really 
pretty little cemetery in a condition of thorough 
neglect, and the new caretaker, who had just suc- 
ceeded to that position on the recent death of the 
old one, was unable to supply Sir Reginald with 
any information. 

Monsieur Laudet having, as we have said, suc- 
reeded in getting Veronica's name removed from 
the cemetery record. Sir Reginald could find there- 
in no record of her burial. Monsieur Laudet had 
not even placed a stone upon the grave of Mon- 
sieur and Madame Dieulafoi, although he had 
promised Josephine repeatedly to do so. Even the 
clergyman of the Huguenot faith who had read the 
funeral services over Veronica and her parents had 
recently died. There seemed no possible way open 
to Sir Reginald to procure any information bear- 
ing upon his wife's death and burial. 

Over five years had passed, and with them 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


267 


seemed to have vanished all traces of her life and 
of her death and burial in France. He very re- 
luctantly and sadly gave up his search for her 
grave, and had to content himself by placing the 
matter in the hands of an agent with instructions 
to employ the cleverest detectives he could find. 
But Monsieur Laudet had done his work only too 
well. Even these men, clever though they were 
in tracing missing people, and following up clues, 
and unearthing and discovering deeply laid plots 
and solving mysteries, had to acknowledge them- 
selves completely baffled. Some had even told the 
detectives that they had seen Veronica alive, long 
after the time she was supposed to have been 
buried. As the records had been destroyed, even 
those of Monsieur and Madame Dieulafoi, it was 
impossible to definitely locate the grave, and it 
would have practically meant the disinterment of 
a large number of people to verify the exact body. 
This was clearly out of the question, and Reginald 
had to abide by the decision of these detectives. 
Streetfield and Brosby returned to England disap- 
pointed and mystified by their want of success. 

Once again Streetfield Manor had a master. Sir 
Reginald busied himself in attending to and dis- 
posing of the large amount of arrears of work 
that had accumulated during his long absence. 

He found the good Dr. Sharpe well and hearty, 
although appearing older than when he last saw 
him over five years ago. 

From Dr. Sharpe he obtained all the last sad 
details of his mother's death. But of Veronica, he 
was able to add nothing to what he had written 
Sir Reginald at the time of her death. Nor could 
he add any solution to the mystery of her last 


268 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


resting place. Dr. Sharpe admonished Streetfield 
not to linger over all these melancholy details of 
his wife's unfortunate accident and death. This, 
Sir Reginald asserted he was striving to do. 

The investments his steward had made in Amer- 
ica had turned out, as stated before, very profit- 
able and Sir Reginald was advised to invest all the 
funds he had at his disposal in the same enter- 
prises. 

Like his father before him. Sir Reginald con- 
sistently took a great deal of pains and labor to 
know and to be known by his tenants. This was so 
naturally congenial to him, the meeting of so 
many happy and appreciative families, that it af- 
forded him a great deal of pleasure and gratifi- 
cation. 

Sir Reginald Streetfield had now been home sev- 
eral months, and as the winter was approaching, 
and notwithstanding the fact that Major Brosby 
spent a large proportion of his time With him, he 
dreaded the advent of winter, with its long hours 
of shadow and darkness, so that when his London 
brokers suggested it would be ^s well for him 
to take a trip to the United States, and to 
acquire a personal knowledge of some of the prop- 
erties in which he had so largely invested. Sir 
Reginald gladly fell in with their suggestion, and 
he succeeded in prevailing upon Major Brosby to 
accompany him. The Major confessed that time 
was beginning to hang heavily upon his hands, so 
without more ado, they had their trunks packed, 
and accompanied by their personal attendants, 
Harry Brooks and Will Burke, they sailed for New 
York en route to Colorado, Arizona, California, and 
Montana, in which states lay chiefly the properties 


A COMEDY OP ERRORS 


269 


in which Sir Reginald had so largely invested. 

This was the first visit of Major Brosby to the 
United States, and also of Harry Brooks and Will 
Burke. To all of them it was a journey replete 
with interest. Harry Brooks and Will Burke were 
impatient to learn whether their superior officers 
included Tennessee in their itinerary. As they 
were on tenter hooks, to meet their pal, Phil Knox, 
they were much pleased when Sir Reginald stated 
that he had written to Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox tell- 
ing them that he wished to visit them. He had 
also written to Mr. Silas Thompson to the same 
effect. 

Mrs. Wilcox, herself immediately replied and 
said that they would all regard it as a personal 
affront if Sir Reginald failed to make his contem- 
plated visit, and most hospitably invited, both him 
and Major Brosby, to stay, as long as they pos- 
sibly could, at the Wilcox plantation. This she 
did in her usual gracious manner. She added, how- 
ever, that George was in Europe, as he had in- 
sisted upon going there, notwithstanding all their 
entreaties to the contrary, so that Sir Reginald 
would miss seeing him when he arrived at Great 
Hope. 

Our visitors, there and then, decided to make 
Tennessee first, and postpone to a later date their 
itinerary. Sir Reginald thereupon notified Mrs. 
Wilcox to expect them at an early date. 

Mr. Wilcox senior, with his usual generosity ar- 
ranged to give the British officers a royal recep- 
tion. 

Of course. Miss Marry MacKenneth would be 
there with her father Angus MacKenneth, Mr. 
Silas Thompson, Dr. Vernon from Philadelphia, in 


270 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


addition to these named, there would be a large 
circle of friends of the Wilcoxes, whom Sir Regi- 
nald had met in his last sojourn at the plantation, 
nearly six years before; all of whom were invited 
to the forthcoming reception and many others 
besides. 

With such hearty southern hospitality were 
these Englishmen received, that Major Brosby, 
who had never before experienced the spontaneous 
hospitality and open-heartedness of his American 
cousins, was quite affected; and he could not help 
ejaculating to Streetfield: ''By Jove, Streetfield, 
these American cousins of ours, I am proud of 
them! This is really remarkable!^' 

The interchange of greetings and the introduc- 
tions being over, the company settled down to 
more solid themes of conversation. 

Reginald was greatly delighted to see all his 
friends once more. He could not help remarking 
to himself, what a trio of lovely women were Miss 
Grace Wilcox (who notwithstanding her anxiety 
over George, looked unusually beautiful,) and Miss 
Emily Lawrence, and last but not least. Miss Mary 
MacKenneth. Mightily glad was he, indeed, to 
meet again Silas Thompson, and to be able to 
thank him personally for all his goodness and for 
the kindly interest he had taken in him and for 
his faithfulness in writing so regularly to him. 
Sir Reginald Streetfield could not help remarking 
to Silas Thompson what a wonderfully beautiful 
woman Mary had developed into, whereupon Silas 
rubbed his hands and exclaimed: 

"How remarkable to be sure. Sir Reginald. How 
strange ! How prodigious ! Why Sir, she is so beau- 
tiful, that I have named her the Pride of Tennes- 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


271 


see, and she is famed for her beauty all over Ten- 
nessee, and is now, in fact, referred to by all who 
know her, as the Pride of Tennessee.” 

There was no question as to the resplendent 
beauty of Mary, for if ever a woman looked radi- 
ant, Mary looked so that evening. She was genu- 
inely pleased to see Sir Reginald again, and her 
irrepressible blushes reflected her gladness. 

We may as well mention now as later that Mary 
had confided to her uncle Si, her refusal of the 
hand of Dr. Vernon, for which refusal Mary was 
unable to give him a tangible excuse, except the 
one she had given the doctor, and for which re- 
fusal, her Uncle Silas mildly took her to task; for 
he said, he did not want to see her settling down 
to old maidenhood ; and who indeed, he asked, 
could she meet, that would in anyway be consid- 
ered the superior, or even the equal, of the clever 
and rising young doctor, who belonged besides, he 
emphasized, to one of the oldest families in Ten- 
nessee. 

To all of which remarks of her Uncle Si, Mary 
replied, in so bewitchingly facetious a manner, 
that Silas Thompson thought best to retire from 
his position, which was fast becoming untenable, 
under her clever jeu de mots. Dr. Vernon too had 
hastened to tell his story to Mr. Thompson, and 
Silas agreed fully with him, that it was utterly 
futile for him to entertain any hopes of ever win- 
ning Mary. 

‘T told you so, long ago, doctor, that you should 
look to the Wilcox home for a life partner; but 
you young men think, that we old fogey bache- 
lors know nothing of the affairs of the heart.” 

Dr. Vernon had almost insensibly, since the day 


272 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of Mary’s refusal of him, paid more attention to 
Grace Wilcox. Now that he had determined to 
think no more of Mary, he found himself being 
drawn towards Grace and it was within six 
months from the day of his refusal by Mary that 
he had asked Grace for her hand. 

Grace Wilcox had passed through so much for 
her brother, that she often longed for someone to 
lean upon. Her father and mother, although sym- 
pathetic, were wont to severely censure George, 
and the tender feelings of Grace resented this. She 
was devotedly attached to him, and cognizant 
of the friendship that existed between George and 
Dr. Vernon, she had for some time leaned on him, 
and looked to him for sympathy and advice in 
matters relating to her brother George. 

This naturally created a bond of sympathy be- 
tween the Doctor and herself. Now that Dr. Ver- 
non conscientiously considered himself heart whole 
and fancy free, he thought more and more about 
Grace, as he saw more of her. 

Grace had many admirable traits, besides being 
a strikingly handsome woman. In addition to all 
these personal charms, she was very wealthy in 
her own name, and would doubtless inherit a large 
fortune from her parents, although the pecuniary 
consideration ^ weighed not at all with Dr. Vernon, 
yet it made Grace Wilcox the most desirable young 
lady in Great Hope, and throughout that part of 
the state. 

Several eligible young men had been very assid- 
uous and persistent in their attentions to Grace 
Wilcox, but she did not evince any interest in any 
of them, and some of them had ardently pushed 
their suits, even to the point of proposing to Grace, 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


273 


but she was too devoted to her brother George to 
think of marrying. 

But in regard to Dr. Vernon, he seemed to stand 
in an altogether different light. He was an old- 
time, trusted and proved friend of the family, and 
especially of George, and to him, she considered, 
the family was under deep obligation. 

Years ago, she almost fancied herself in love 
with him, but the doctor had never paid her any 
particular attention. Lately he had become more 
demonstrative, and Grace was conscious that her 
old affection for him was re-awakening. One morn- 
ing, while strolling in the garden Dr. Vernon asked 
her if she would marry him, and Grace did not 
hesitate to accept him. 

They went into the house, hand in hand, to 
find Grace's mother to tell her of their betrothal. 
Of course Mrs. Wilcox was glad to hear the news. 
She had relinquished, long ago, her ambition to 
marry Grace to Reginald Streetfield, when she 
heard that he had married Veronica, or to any 
other titled Englishman for that matter. Fur- 
thermore, she was greatly attached to Dr. Vernon, 
both as a physician, and as an old and trusted 
friend of the family. 

Mary MacKenneth was one of the first to con- 
gratulate Grace and Dr. Vernon, and we may be 
sure, that Mr. Silas Thompson, too, was one of the 
first to congratulate Dr. Vernon and Grace, and he 
said to Dr. Vernon, '‘You will in future, I trust. 
Dr. Vernon, pay attention to what an old crusty 
bachelor says." And as to Grace, he still called her 
the party of the second part, and he said to her: 
“You were once the party of the second part to 
me, Miss Grace, but you will now become the party 


274 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of the first part to Dr. Vernon, and he will assume 
the more modest role of the party of the second 
part.” 

“Oh, you wretched man!” exclaimed Grace, jest- 
ingly. “You already presume that I am going to 
wield the scepter. You are wrong. Uncle Silas. 
Dr. Vernon will ever be the party of the first part 
to me, now and for evermore, and I am still to con- 
tinue to be to you the party of the second part, as in 
the days of long ago.” 

When Sir Reginald learned of Dr. Vernon's good 
fortune, he heartily congratulated him, for he had 
always admired Grace Wilcox. But we have di- 
gressed and anticipated in our narrative and we 
shall have to revert to the reception tendered our 
two British guests. 

Indeed, there was a great deal more before the 
guests than the mere meeting of people. Mr. Wil- 
cox had arranged a banquet, whose sumptuousness 
and prodigality, was to rival that of Lady Travel- 
yan at Reginald's wedding. The choicest of viands 
and wines were provided in abundance, and right 
merry did that party become, and speeches too 
were in order. 

Mr. Wilcox senior, spoke, and so did Mr. Silas 
Thompson, and Dr. Vernon. 

All the speakers made kindly references to the 
distingushed visitors. When Major Brosby was 
called upon to respond, Mr. Wilcox as chairman 
of the evening, requested him to make a few re- 
marks as to the solidarity of the English speaking 
races of the world, which the gallant Major was 
well able to do. 

The gallant Major, after many eulogistic re^ 
marks, regarding the wonderful country on this 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


275 


side of the Atlantic, the foundation stones of 
which, he said, were laid by intrepid Britsh colon- 
ists, and that that fact should never be lost sight 
of and as these colonists, he contended, had elect- 
ed to build up a great independent nation upon so 
solid a foundation, that that foundation in itself 
was a guarantee of its perpetuation. In regard 
to the union of all the English speaking 
countries, that he said, already existed, aitd there 
was no necessity for putting that into the bond. 
That the bond between the two great English- 
speaking peoples can exist only on the highest and 
most altruistic principles and ideals; that the tra- 
ditions represented to the British people by the 
Crown and flag, both of which had existed a thou- 
sand years, and that the Crown in particular in all 
those years, with but very few exceptions, had 
drawn from the British people, their truest and 
their best. (And this he wished, he said, to paren- 
thetically emphasize. The greatest function of the 
Crown was to draw to the foot of the throne the 
best of the nation to help in its good government). 
So, in like manner, the Stars and Stripes of Amerl- 
ica must draw forth the truest and the best in the 
American people to help in the good government 
of the nation. In short, the two nations must ever 
remain True Blue, each to their own glorious tra- 
ditions, and as long as they continued to do so, they 
were as firmly united as nations can ever be united. 
True Blues can never have a falling out. It is the 
same yesterday, today and forever, the world over. 
When nations went to war, he argued, it was ow- 
ing to one or the other of them, or both of them, 
ceasing to live up to the highest ideals of human- 
ity. Therefore, he concluded, as long as England 


276 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


and America remain true blue, they were indis- 
solubly united; but if one or the other of them, or 
both of them, became recreant to their traditions 
and ideals, that very mom.ent, the alliance ceased, 
no matter how arranged, and whether written on 
paper or not. True Blue, he said, is essentially a 
spiritual essence, and if both nations evolved the 
same spiritual qualities, they were one and indisr 
soluble, even though they were divided by three 
thousand miles of sea, and were living under dif- 
ferent constitutions. The form of these constitu- 
tions, he maintained, was immaterial, the crucial 
test was, he emphasized, “Did they evolve the 
spiritual?” He begged to drink to the ‘Stars and 
Stripes' of America, and to the ‘Crown and Union 
Jack' of the Old Land, “and may they both,'' he 
said, ‘^remain True Blue forever,” 

Sir Reginald Streetfield had to say something, 
which he did in his usual sincere and dignified 
manner, supplementing the remarks of his senior 
officer, Major Brosby. 

The gathering finally broke up, long past the 
hour of midnight, and the guests went home great- 
ly impressed with the bearing and the remarks of 
the British officers, the Wilcoxes being highly 
commended and complimented by everyone on the 
great success of the reception. 

The meeting between Miss Mary MacKenneth 
and Sir Reginald Streetfield had been one of genu- 
ine pleasure, and Sir Reginald, for the first time 
since the untimely death of Veronica felt an awak- 
ening of his dormant affections. The full woman- 
hood of Mary came upon Sir Reginald as a sur- 
prise, he had known her as a vivacious, ingenuous 
and frank girl; and even at that time, he had felt 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


277 


a certain regard for her, and it appeared now as 
though that regard had been re-kindled. 

As for Mary, her self-consciousness, which she 
vainly endeavored to conceal, caused a bright color 
to suffuse her cheeks, and a radiant expression to 
blossom on her countenance. 

Major Brosby was by no means an idle bystand- 
er. He entered very heartily into the spirit of the 
re-union and listened with much interest to the lit- 
tle tales and reminiscences that were constantly 
cropping up. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox and Grace he 
had met before at Reginald’s wedding. He felt 
therefore to some extent, that he was in the com- 
pany of old friends. His chivalrous nature and his 
soldierly bearing, made an excellent impression 
wherever he went. He had taken in the whole sit- 
uation, without apparently being conscious of what 
was going on. He had particularly noticed the 
frank and happy meeting between Reginald and 
Mary and he forthwith made a mental note of the 
same. 

'‘I will bet myself ten pounds Sir Reginald 
does take up with Miss Mountain Beauty, the 
ten pounds to go to charity if I lose,” he com- 
muned with himself. “Dr. Vernon and Miss Grace 
Wilcox are so radiantly happy in each other’s com- 
pany,” he further communed, saying to himself, 
“Brosby, you are going to see something break out 
here.” 

After spending a few days at the Wilcoxes, he 
noticed that Dr. Vernon invariably paired off with 
Miss Grace, and Sir Reginald with Mary, and he 
began to feel that he ought to pair off too. To be 
sure, there was nobody but Miss Emily Lawrence, 
and it would be altogether at variance with his 


278 


THUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


chivalrous nature not to be attentive to her, con- 
sidering that they were so designedly left to them- 
selves. 

Major Brosby was an excellent entertainer, 
which Emily soon learned. His fund of stories of 
adventures of all sorts, his irrepressible good hu- 
mor and good nature, and his hearty infectious 
laugh, together with his handsome, earnest face 
and his soldierly bearing, were not without effect 
upon Emily. 

One night, when alone with Sir Reginald, Major 
Brosby broke the ice by abruptly saying to him, 
“I tell you what, Reggie, you go in and win Mary 
MacKenneth, and I will jump in and win Emily 
Lawrence. By George, that girl interests me, you 
know, Streetfield.” 

Had Sir Reginald been shot, he could not have 
been more surprised and taken aback. 

He had to admit that he found himself drifting 
into dangerous waters with Mary, but he never 
dreamed of anybody else observing it. It seemed 
inexpressibly funny, to him, to hear of his old 
friend Major Brosby, the incorrigible bachelor, go- 
ing in for a flirtation. ''Well, I'll be blowed, Bros- 
by! What on earth has possessed you to make 
such a proposal?" asked Reginald. 

"I cannot help seeing what I see, Reggie. You 
may not want to admit it, but you may just as 
well. You are in love with Mary MacKenneth, any- 
body with half an eye can see that, and she is dead 
gone on you, as we say in the army. Take my 
predicament, Reggie; there is Vernon everlastingly 
off somewhere with Grace Wilcox, and you are off 
in the same manner with Mary MacKenneth, and 
there is nothing left for that unfortunate Emily 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


279 


Lawrence but to pair off with an old stick like 
myself. Not so very old either, Reggie, begging 
my own pardon. I have been fifteen years in Her 
Majesty's service and have yet to travel four mile- 
stones before I reach forty. Well, I was about to 
say to you, that your conduct is simply atrocious ^ 
and by George, what do I find myself doing, but 
saying soft nothings and empty nothing-at-alls to 
that poor girl. I find that she seems to enjoy my 
society, and by jove, Reggie, to tell you the truth, 
I am beginning to enjoy her society; so I said to 
myself, go in old cock-a-lorum and win if you can. 
But first I must have an understanding with you. 
I would not for the whole world go back to Eng- 
land with a bud from Tennessee, unless you do 
ditto. What say you, old man — is it a go? I have 
called the cards, now show me your hand.” 

Sir Reginald could not keep from bursting into 
a loud laugh. All this was said by the Major, in 
so earnest a tone, that it struck the sense of the 
ridiculous in Reginald. 

'‘This is no laughing matter with me, Reggie,” 
retorted the Major. "It is the first attack in my 
life, sir, and by Gad I believe it is going to be a 
very serious one.” 

Sir Reginald Streetfield was serious again in a 
moment. "Pardon me, Brosby, I do not mean to 
be light-witted in this matter; but it is so sudden, 
you know, to quote an old saying. You are right, 
Brosby, you have called my cards. Like an hon- 
orable player, I will lay them on the table. You 
are right about my loving Mary. I did not fully 
realize it until you called me to myself just now, 
and I am sure, as you are, that Mary loves me.” 

"Major, I am going to ask her to be my wife. 


280 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


God knows I have been true in thought, word and 
deed to the memory of dear Veronica. I know 
that if she were conscious of this moment, she 
would wish for my happiness. I do not consider, 
Brosby, that I am doing her memory any violence 
by asking Mary to take her place,” said Sir Regi- 
nald with deep feeling. 

‘‘You will be doing your dead wife a grave in- 
justice, if you do not, Reggie. Besides, you will 
be doing Mary MacKenneth a far graver injustice 
and wrong. You have to bring the matter to a 
climax. If you agree, I will do the same with 
Emily. Here goes,” earnestly rejoined the Major. 

“You are the last one in the world I ever 
thought would be captivated by a woman. Major, 
but you have my best wishes. Emily is a beauti- 
ful and highly accomplished girl. I was told years 
ago that she was intended for George Wilcox. 
These two families wished to become connected, 
and they thought of marrying their children, but 
since George’s bad behavior, I hear that Emily has 
entirely repudiated him. You therefore need have 
no scruples on that score. Go in and win, Bros- 
by. I wish you all kinds of luck, and here is my 
hand upon it. Do you know that Mary MacKen- 
neth is known in these parts as the Pride of Ten- 
nessee? I must win that Pride while you win that 
beautiful and chaste flower, Emily Lawrence. Let 
us say no more about it, Brosby. Here, shake 
hands and good night,” concluded Reginald, half 
seriously and half humorously. 

The next day Sir Reginald went to see Silas 
Thompson at the village of Great Hope. He had 
already visited Great Hope and Silas on several 
occasions and had shaken hands with many of his 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


281 


good friends among the villagers, whom he had 
known on his first visit years ago, not omitting the 
kindly Mat Stephens. Glad too, were they all, to 
see him. 

His coming, therefore, was not a surprise to 
Silas Thompson, and what Sir Reginald had to say 
to him was not altogether in the nature of a sur- 
prise. Sir Reginald had come to him, he said, to 
make his confession, as he called it, regarding his 
settled intention of asking Mary to marry him. 
But Reginald found that the astute lawyer had 
anticipated him in that knowledge. Silas Thomp- 
son listened to what Reginald had to say, and then 
he said, somewhat abruptly: '‘Of course. Sir Regi- 
nald, you will ask Mary to be you wife. You can- 
not do otherwise, unless you wish to break the 
heart of the Pride of Tennessee.’^ Silas Thompson 
then related to Sir Reginald, the refusal by Mary 
of the hand of Dr. Vernon, and that he had glean- 
ed from that fact and other little incidents, that 
Mary's heart was not free to give, as it should be 
given, to the man she promised to marry. "Mary 
is coming to see me tomorrow and you had better 
come too. Sir Reginald, and you can, both of you, 
fix the matter up in your own way to suit your- 
selves. From the looks of things, I do not antici- 
pate any very great difficulty. Mary, I know, re- 
spects and admires you and though perhaps her 
innate sense of modesty, which she possesses to a 
very high degree, would prevent her from allow- 
ing her admiration to pass into love without some 
expression on your part, it would need but a spark 
to kindle her admiration into a glowing flame of 
love. There, Sir Reginald, I am actually growing 


282 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


poetical over your love affairs. I will say nothing 
more.” 

To Silas Thompson, Mary had been a rare and 
priceless plant that he had nourished and guarded 
from her earliest years. There had grown up be- 
tween them a great bond of sympathy and affec- 
tion, and now to realize that so good a‘ man as 
Sir Reginald wanted her, made him feel inexpress- 
ibly happy. 

Apart altogether, from Sir Reginald's rank and 
station in life, which were of course of great con- 
sideration, Silas Thompson had, from his first 
meeting with Sir Reginald, been drawn towards 
him. His frankness and utter absence of anything 
approaching self-assertion and conceit, his genial, 
hearty and sincere manner, instantly awakened in 
Silas a liking and a warm friedship for him. 

It rather amused Silas Thompson to think of hia 
Mary as Lady Streetfield; but nothng, he felt con, 
vinced, in this world was too good or too lofty for 
Mary. He would muse on the pride and happiness 
that it would have given Mary's beloved mother, 
had she been alive, to witness the marriage of her 
daughter to so honorable a man, and an English 
baronet. 

Angus MacKenneth, Silas felt assured would 
gladly give his consent to Mary accepting the 
baronet, because he knew from Mr. Angus Mac- 
Kenneth's own expressions that he entertained a 
very high regard for Sir Reginald. 

The next day Sir Reginald, according to his ar- 
rangement with Silas Thompson, went to see him 
at Great Hope, and of course Mary was there, and 
of course Silas must needs excuse himself, and of 
course Aunt Janet had to go to market, and so it 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


283 


was that Mary and Reginald were left quite alone. 

Sir Reginald w^as the very last one she expected 
to see, which was indeed the truth, as Silas 
Thompson had said nothing to her about Sir Regi- 
nald being there that day. How did it happen that 
he had come to see Uncle Si? 

But Sir Reginald was very poor at any attempt 
at dissimulation. He blurted out that Mr. Thomp- 
son had asked him over, and really, before he was 
aware of what he was doing, he had asked Mary 
to be his wife, and was holding her unresistingly 
in his arms. 

What these two lovers said to each other during 
those two hours which pased before Uncle Silas 
returned would fill many a page in this volume. 
But it is sufficient to say, that they had gone over 
all their past lives, and had even attempted to 
delve into the future, and to talk about the hap- 
piness of the days to come. 

Strange to say, Silas ‘ Thompson, when he re- 
turned was accompanied by Angus MacKenneth, so 
there was nothing else for Sir Reginald to do but 
to frankly tell Mr. MacKenneth that he had asked 
Mary to be his wife, and that she had consented, 
and he was now only to ask his consent. 

Angus MacKenneth was naturally surprised. He 
realized for some time that some young man 
would come some day, from somewhere, and take 
his Mary away from him, and now to learn that 
she had secured the love of such a man as Sir 
Reginald Streetfield, and a British baronet besides, 
he could not help but feel greatly mollified (by 
these very evident facts and auspicious circum- 
stances) at the prospect of his losing his Mary. 

‘'Well, lass,” he said to Mary, “you are at last 


284 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


going to leave your dad. It is well that it is so. 
Your Mother did the same thing before you; and 
as for you, Sir Reginald Streetfield, I am proud, 
indeed, sir, to give you the hand of my daughter 
in marriage ; and perhaps I ought not to say it, be- 
ing the father of the girl, you have won, sir, one 
of the purest and brightest gems that this coun- 
try has ever produced.” 

Mr. Silas Thompson having seen everything set- 
tled, to his entire satisfaction and Aunt Janet hav- 
ing returned, and being told the good news, and 
having expressed herself as being as happy as she 
ever could be in this world, or ever expected to be 
in the next ; and moreover, having prepared a most 
inviting lunch for the party, and the party having 
consumed that lunch; and after Silas Thompson 
declaring that this was the happiest circumstance 
in his whole life, he suggested to the lovers that 
they cut their sticks, as he not very euphonistic- 
ally but humorously put it, and hurry back to the 
Wilcox plantation and tell them there the wonder- 
ful news, which was, indeed, too good to keep. 

Mary, having kissed her father, and her Uncle 
Si, and Aunt Janet, good-bye, jumped into the 
buggy as she did years ago, when she was a child, 
and drove away with Reginald. 

They need have to go all over that scene again, 
and thus did this happy pair wend their way, not 
too rapidly, you may be sure. After a slow but 
certainly not a tedious journey, they arrived at 
the Wilcox residence and entered it together. 

They had no sooner done so when Grace Wilcox 
spied them and hastened towards them saying, 
“Surely you have not come to tell me the news at 
this late hour of the day?” 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


285 


To this query Mary and Sir Reginald did not 
know what to say, because they both wondered 
how on earth their secret could have reached the 
Wilcox residence in so short a time. Of course 
they concluded that the news referred to by Grace 
was their engagement, and that she had humor- 
ously put her question in that way. Mary was the 
first to break the silence. ^ 

‘'How did you know about it, Grace, dear?'’ she 
asked in a surprised tone. 

“I heard it of course, Mary. Everybody in the 
house knows about it,” answered Grace.” 

“Why, who has been telling you, Grace? Surely 
Uncle Si could not have reached here in so short 
a time — I know. You must have just guessed it,” 
exclaimed Mary. 

“Uncle Silas? What has Uncle Silas got to do 
with it? And you say I have guessed it,” said 
Grace in astonishment. “No such thing, Mary, he 
told me himself.” 

“He told you himself?” repeated Mary. It was 
her turn now to be astonished, and turning to Sir 
Reginald, she said to him: “How could you have 
told Grace, Sir Reginald, you have never been out 
of my sight?” 

“Sir Reginald never told me, Mary. What 
strange things you say. Major Brosby told me 
himself, of course,” rejoined Grace, still amazed. 

This was a greater puzzle than ever to Mary 
and Sir Reginald. 

“How the deuce? Please excuse my using that 
expression. Miss Wilcox, but it really meets the 
situation. How the deuce did Major Brosby get 
to know?” asked Sir Reginald as he saw that 
Mary was quite nonplussed."^ 


286 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘*How the deuce did Major Brosby know?” an- 
swered Grace, mimicking Sir Regnald’s tone. 
‘‘Why a man ought to know when he has proposed 
to a girl, and has been accepted by her; and as 
you two seem to be so superlatively impervious 
(none so deaf as those who do not want to hear, 
you know). I am going to tell you anyhpw, sim- 
ply, clearly, and explicitly as I can. Major Brosby 
has told me that he proposed to Emily and that 
Emily has accepted him. Now do you compre- 
hend? 

All this seemed so inexpressibly funny to Mary 
and to Sir Reginald that they could not refrain 
from breaking out into a hearty laugh. 

This added all the more to Grace’s bewilderment 
and surprise at, what appeared to her, their ex- 
traordinary behavior, and we must confess that 
she felt a little resentful, for she said in a hurt 
tone, ‘^Really now, Mary, and Sir Reginald Street- 
field, it doesn’t seem to me that there is anything 
to laugh at.” 

“But, Grace, it is such a strange coincidence,” 
said Mary in a mollifying voice. 

“I do not see anything strange or coincidental 
in the matter. I really cannot make out what 
both of you are driving at,” returned Grace, still 
incensed. “And there is Sir Reginald Streetfield 
apparently unable to stop laughing, even when he 
sees I am really angry.” 

“There now, Grace, dear, come, and I will whis- 
per in your ear so that Sir Reginald will not heai 
me.” And going up to Grace Mary whispered In 
her ear, “Sir Reginald and I are engaged to be 
married. He asked me this morning at Uncle Silas 
Thompson’s.” 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


287 


It was now Grace’s turn to see the ludicrous 
side of the contretemps and she broke into a peal 
of laughter. It was now Mary’s turn to feel hurt 
while Sir Reginald looked on in wonderment. 

‘It is not a matter for you to laugh at so heart- 
ily, Grace,” said Mary in a hurt tone. 

“Why, Mary, if one is not supposed to laugh at 
this one cannot then laugh at anything, and one 
must be quite bereft of any sense of humor,” said 
Grace, trying vainly to suppress her laughter. 

“I cannot really see anything to laugh at, Grace,” 
said Mary in a resentful if not angry tone. 

“Oh, you stupid, stupid girl! Do you really 
imagine for a moment that I am laughing at the 
news you gave me? No, dear, I was laughing at 
my own stupid mistake, and the way you and Sir 
Reginald got mixed up. Of course, I am glad In- 
deed to hear it. Won’t you let me kiss you and 
wish you all happiness?” said Grace in pacifying 
tones, with which she fondly embraced and kissed 
Mary again and again. She then shook hands cor- 
dially with Sir Reginald, saying to him as she 
did so: 

“So you have come into our country and stolen 
the Pride of Tennessee? — Was it not excruciat- 
ingly funny, mixed up as we all were?” and Grace 
started laughing again, in which Mary and Sir 
Reginald joined; and they continued laughing so 
heartily that Mrs. Wilcox came out to see what 
was the matter, and Grace in her own delightfully 
serio-comic way, recounted to her mother all that 
happened; and, of course, Mrs. Wilcox could not 
help but laugh heartily too. She kissed Mary, and 
congratulated both of them ; and after that, they 
all laughed together, when Grace reiterated the 


288 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


parts that each of them had played. Mary's and 
Sir Reginald's bewilderment; then her own bewil- 
derment and her anger; and then Mary's amuse- 
ment and her anger, and then her own amusement 
and Mary's anger; and as they were about to start 
laughing again Major Brosby and Emily came upon 
the scene, and the sight of them added fuel to the 
fire, and for the life of them, these four, could not 
help but break out into peal after peal of laughter, 
much to the consternation of Major Brosby, and 
the evident distress of Emily. Mr. Albert Wil- 
cox, who had just come in and hearing the loud 
peals of laughter, asked the Major what was the 
occasion of it all and he could only say that some- 
thing, surpassingly strange had happened to the 
family and to Sir Reginald Streetfield. Mr. 
Wilcox hurried into the room to find out what 
really was the matter, but his presence only added 
to the roar of laughter. Mr. Wilcox himself be- 
came really alarmed, and almost concluded that a 
sudden fit of insanity had seized the household. 
It was a strangely grotesque nevertheless an alarm- 
ing picture. 

Mr. Wilcox was so bewildered that he could say 
nothing. Major Brosby was silent too, excepting 
when he at intervals exclaimed, ‘‘By George, this 
is strange! By jove, what can be the matter?" 
until poor Emily, unable any longer to contain her 
distress, burst into tears. This had the desired 
effect, and they all stopped laughing in a moment. 
This antithesis, the distress and tears of Emily, 
acted like an antidote to their laughter. 

Then the three ladies, Mrs. Wilcox, Grace, and 
Mary, had to press around Emily, to kiss her, to 
caress her, and to heap many congratulations upon 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


289 


her; and Mary told Emily of her engagement to 
Sir Reginald, and it was now Emily’s turn to kiss 
and congratulate Mary. 

In the meanwhile the three gentlemen, Mr. Wil- 
cox, Major Brosby, and Sir Reginald, were grouped 
together. 

Reginald congratulated Brosby; and I^eginald 
had to tell the Major of his own engagement; the 
Major, of course, had to congratulate Reginald, 
rhe conversation in these two distinct groups, 
grew more and more animated. Mary was speak- 
ing of her engagement, and Emily of hers, an(L 
Reginald was telling Brosby, and Brosby was tell- 
ing Reginald. What indeed did Grace then do, but 
she called to the group of men and said: 

"‘What is the matter with you, father? Why do 
you keep Major Brosby and Sir Reginald all to 
yourself? Come and join us. I want to tell you, 
dad, all that happened just now, and Emily too, for 
she has not heard quite the whole story.” 

The gentlemen then joined the ladies, and con- 
gratulations had to be passed again and when these 
were over what needs Miss Grace do, but had 
to tell the story of the laughter all over again. In 
her irresistibly funny way. 

She recounted the whole scene from the time 
that Mary and Reginald came in to the moment 
Emily burst into tears. 

This had the effect of setting them all to laugh- 
ing again, more particularly Mr. Wilcox «and 
Emily, and Major Brosby, for they had not heard 
the full story. Indeed they were a happy and a 
merry group. 

‘T am ten pounds better off than I was, Reggie,” 
said t*he Major, when they retired for the night. 


290 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


'‘How so, Major?” asked Sir Reginald. 

“It is just this way. After witnessing the first 
meeting between Mary MacKenneth and yourself, 
I bet myself ten pounds that you would be shortly 
engaged to Mary, the ten pounds to go to some 
eleemosynary institution if I lost.” 

“I am sorry. Major, for that eleemosynary in- 
stitution, but I am delighted at the same time that 
you won your bet.” 

We have been so busy with recounting the good 
fortune of Dr. Vernon, Major Brosby, and Sir Reg- 
inald, that we have not said a word about our 
three gallant and trusty musketeers, Phil Knox, 
Harry Btooks, and Will Burke. 

These three met again under the favoring winds 
of Providence for Phil Knox had accompanied Dr. 
Vernon to the Wilcoxes. Ample accommodation 
was found for them by Mr. Wilcox senior. He had 
assigned to them a commodious and comfortably 
furnished cottage, which in the days of slavery 
was occupied by the supervisor of the Wilcox plan- 
tations and had since been kept in good order. 
Mr. Wilcox often housed some of his guests in this 
cottage when those guests at his plantation home, 
who stayed over night, were too many, which was 
indeed not an infrequent occurrence. 

But be that as it may, our three musketeers 
were safely established there and a darkey servant 
was assigned to look after their comforts, and to 
supply them with all they needed, liquid and other- 
wise. 

After a few days' stay at the Wilcox planta- 
tion, Burke and Brooks obtained permission to ac- 
company Phil Knox on a visit to his mountaineer 
friends. He had pledged his word to them that he 


A COMEDY OE ERRORS 


291 


would bring with him his two British comrades, 
when he paid them his promised visit, so under his 
guidance and guardianship did the three musket- 
eers, having first secured the necessary horses 
from the generous Mr. Wilcox, make their way 
towards the mountains. 

The mountaineers having been already ^advised 
of their coming, gathered in large numbers to give 
Phil and his two friends a right royal welcome. 
Bill Burke and Harry Brooks with their genial and 
free and easy manner, soon established themselves 
in the good graces of these kind-hearted and open- 
minded people, who lived so close to nature, and 
who apparently blend in their character some- 
thing of the ruggedness, the sternness, the grand- 
eur, and the wild freedom of their surroundings. 
There was one particular section of these mount- 
ains which the people had for years appropriated 
and utilized as a meeting place and a pleasure 
ground. This spot was inaccessible to those who 
were not conversant with the topography of that 
locality. 

The meeting place was an open space of about 
four acres in extent, surrounded on all sides by 
massive boulders of earth and rock which consti- 
tuted a veritable natural amphitheatre. This open 
space was covered with poplar, magnolia, pine, and 
locust trees, which afforded in summer a grateful 
shelter and shade. The surrounding boulders were 
deeply indentated at their base and jutting forward 
as they did, formed crevices 'which were caves in 
reality, and some of large proportion. These caves 
were occupied as temporary habitations by the 
mountaineers and their friends whenever they as- 
sembled there for festive and other occasions. 


292 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Here they would often bring their wives and their 
children and would tarry some days, having 
brought with them such provisions as they deemed 
necessary. Not far from this spot a goodly sized 
mountain cascade afforded excellent bathing facili- 
ties, and supplied all the pure water needed for 
drinking and culinary purposes. There were many 
of these caves and most of them could readily be 
occupied by a family, affording ample shelter, and 
all that privacy called for. 

It was to this spot that our three musketeers 
were escorted, and there Burke and Brooks met all 
the old and tried friends of Phil Knox, and they 
were enchanted with and fairly reveled in the 
natural beauty of this sylvan and mountain fast- 
ness. There were no less than twenty families to 
do honor to our three heroes. Burke and Brooks 
being single men, and remarkably fine looking men 
at that, found great favor in the eyes of the 
mountain lassies, some of whom were very comely 
indeed, while others exhibited the effects of the 
hard and strenuous life of those who eke out a 
living upon the mountain sides and are perenni- 
ally exposed to the inclemency of the weather, and 
besides, are compelled to exist for the most part 
upon meager and coarse fare. All these conditions 
had had a tendency to give them spareness, 
angularity, and length of body; and thus it has 
come about that many of these mountain lasses 
show clearly angular characteristics of counte- 
nance and figure. No matter whether angular or 
comely, spare or buxom, the conduct of the two 
British visitors was chivalrous to a fault. 

One of the caves was assigned to the three vis- 
itors, the floor of which was covered with dried 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


293 


moss, over which blankets were spread, constitut- 
ing fairly comfortable beds. 

Here in this beautiful and sequestered nook did 
they stay for all of four days. Beginning with 
the hour of daylight, our trio would, with the 
mountaineers, enjoy a bath at the cascade, by 
standing directly beneath the falling waters; and 
they would then accompany their friends through 
the woods, and over the glens, hunting for squir- 
rels and other edible fauna, indigenous to those 
forests and mountains. Getting an early start, 
they would return at noon, hungry as hunters, 
(for that they really were) to a most plenteous 
and wholesome meal of the best that these moon- 
shiners could afford and these mountains produce, 
served in the open space, to be found in the center 
of this cluster of trees. After the midday meal 
the women would retire, leaving the men smoking 
around an open fire, because it was getting chilly 
now, and the mountaineers would recount to their 
visitors many an interesting episode and tale of 
mountain life. Then would be brought forth from 
somewhere a demijohn of good, pure, mountain 
whiskey, of which the men partook freely and 
heartily, and here, indeed, was one occasion in 
which Phil Knox could easily out-distance his 
British friends. ‘‘You are British soldiers,” he 
would say to them, “and you have been to war. 
But when it comes to moonshine, Burke and 
Brooks, why I have you backed clean off the 
board.” Burke and Brooks really did try to up- 
hold and maintain the prestige of the British sol- 
dier, and did their utmost to keep pace with Phil 
Knox, but we have sadly to confess, that they 
were compelled on one afternoon, to seek the se- 


294 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


elusion of their cave. “We have learned our les- 
son,” Burke said to Phil, “and never again shall 
we attempt to rival or even question your superior 
capacity for partaking of mountain whiskey.” 
And our two heroes never did again transgress in 
that direction. They had learned the potency of 
moonshine, they said, and now well knew how to 
regulate their consumption of it. 

Phil Knox had told the mountaineers all about 
Burke and Brooks and the Afridis war in India, 
and of the wonderful valor displayed by Burke, 
and how he had won the most coveted military dis- 
tinction in the world, the Victoria Cross; and Will 
Burke had to go over those exciting incidents of 
that military action, and there was always some- 
body who did not hear him tell the story and 
would insist upon having it told all over again. 

In the late afternoon, the ladies would gather in 
the open space, and there would be dancing, for 
one small section of that area had been set aside 
and beaten and smoothed down to make it fairly 
suitable for that pastime. Here it was that Wil- 
liam Burke and Harry Brooks excelled. Dancing 
with the ladies, young and old, comely and angu- 
lar, lean and stout, until the ladies themselves 
said, that they had never met with in all their 
lives such wonderfully pleasing and good-natured 
men. The music was supplied by one who played 
the concertina, and by another who fiddled. After 
the dancing would come supper, and excellent coffee 
would be handed around in huge cups, and anybody 
could have as many cups as he wanted. There were 
com cakes, and other delicate and tastefully pre- 
pared dishes; and after supper they would all sit 
around the large open fire on heaps of dried moss. 


A COMEDY OF ERRORS 


295 


placed there for the occasion, the men smoking 
their pipes and cigars, and the women with their 
younger children nestling on their laps. Then 
someone would sing. A man perhaps, in a deep, 
stentorian voice, or a woman, in sweet, plaintive 
tones. This would encourage others. Nor were 
Bill Burke and Harry Brooks backward in coming 
forward, and they sang too„ Some of the women 
had wonderfully sweet voices indeed, and they 
would sing with much feeling and pathos, many 
of the Moody and Sankey hymns, such as In the 
Sweet By and By, Hold the Fort, We Shall 
Gather at the River, and Scatter Seeds of Kind- 
ness, in which the men would lustily join, al- 
though moonshiners each and every one of them. 
'Terhaps more appropriate would it be did they 
sing Scatter Drops of Kindness,” whispered Bill 
Burke to Phil Knox in his inimitable Irish way. 

Our British boys certainly had a good time, and 
enjoyed every minute of it, and both of them 
would lose their hearts several times each day, 
only to recover them when they retired for the 
night into their cavernous lodgings with Phil 
Knox, who expressed it as his opinion that the 
only thing that saved his British friends from 
the dire calamity of matrimony was the number 
of the really pretty and buxom young women they 
met. 

“You boys,” he said to them, “cannot really 
make up your minds as to the one you would like 
to propose to.” It was even seriously suggested 
to William Burke and Harry Brooks that they stay 
up in the mountains forever and ever, and give 
up all thoughts of going back to England. But 
Burke and Brooks were too well disciplined and 


296 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


had too great a regard for their duty to be induced 
to prolong their stay by any mountain Delilah, be 
she ever so alluring. 

Never, said Burke, had he had such a wonder- 
ful visit, and never would he forget the big-heart- 
edness of these kindly people, and the rare and 
natural grace of the ladies. “Do you wonder now 
at my being attached to these mountaineers?” de- 
manded Phil Knox to Will Burke one day, “apart 
from any fondness that I possess for the really 
fine whiskey they manufacture.” 

These were indeed four wonderful days, after 
which the party dispersed, each family to its own 
home. Our three musketeers having got ready 
their horses, (which, by the way, were well taken 
care of by the mountaineers), they bade their hos- 
pitable hosts a hearty farewell many of whom 
would insist on accompanying them on horseback 
some distance on their homeward journey. 

Thus ended, the three musketeers said, one of 
the most enjoyable episodes of their lives, almost 
rivalling that, Phil Knox said, of the Chateau 
d'Eaulant, when he had taken such exquisite delight 
in holding a revolver to the head of Monsieur Henry 
Rochecauld, and had threatened to plug him, be- 
cause, as he said at the time to that French gentle- 
man, he looked like a revenue officer. 


CHAPTER XII 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 

Mr. George Wilcox still remained in Paris, and 
Emily wished to marry before his return, ^which 
might take place at any time, and Major Brosby 
saw little purpose in delay, so they decided that 
their wedding should take place at once. Dr. Ver- 
non and Grace Wilcox having decided also on an 
early marriage, arrangements were made for a 
double event. 

Sir Reginald and Mary purposed to be quietly 
married in New York at an early date. As the 
day approached, the prospective bride and groom 
left for that city, accompanied by Mr. Angus Mac- 
kenneth, Mr. and Mrs. and Grace Wilcox, and 
Emily Lawrence, Mr. Silas Thompson, Dr. Vernon, 
Major Brosby and our three musketeers, who had 
elected to accom.pany their masters in order, as 
they jestingly said to them, to look to their com- 
fort and to protect them from the snares of any 
possible American Laudet. Sir Reginald had asked 
the Rev. Dr. Sharpe to come to the States to wit- 
ness his marriage. To this the good doctor readily 
assented. 

Reginald and Mary were quietly and unostenta- 
tiously married at St. John's church. New York, 
the Rev. Dr. Sharpe being present as arranged. 
This was his first visit to the States, and he was 
much interested in noticing the many, to him, 
novel habits and customs of the people; he ex- 
pressed himself as greatly gratified by the warm 
welcome he received from everybody at the Wil- 


298 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


cox Plantation, where he was to make his home 
during his stay in America. 

Dr. Sharpe was glad to learn of Reginald's in- 
tention to marry again, for he felt that that would 
be the opening of a new vista of life for Reginald, 
and when he saw Mary, he was more than ever 
convinced of the wisdom of Reginald's decision. 

Major Brosby, not to be outdone in any way by 
his fellow officer and his junior to boot as he fa- 
cetiously put it, prevailed upon the Rev. Dr. Sharpe 
to postone his departure and honor Emily and 
himself by witnessing their marriage as well. It 
is unnecessary to say that the double event was a 
gala affair, and as such was long remembered by 
the inhabitants of that neighborhood. The Wil- 
coxes having a wide circle of acquaintances, many 
invitations had been issued. 

The Major appeared to great advantage in the 
full dress of an officer in the British army, and 
as for Dr. Vernon the noble expression of his 
highly intellectual features was greatly enhanced 
by the happy glow that effused his countenance. 
As to the brides, whatever we may say, or can say, 
would be altogether too inadequate to describe the 
bewitching beauty of their costume and the radi- 
ance of their own happy faces. 

The ceremony over, with all its accompanying 
festivities, the Major and his bride, and Dr. Ver- 
non and his bride left for parts unknown. 

The Major and Reginald had considerable more 
than a year to the good, in the matter of their 
leave of absence. On the Major's return from 
his honeymoon, they decided to stay in Tennessee 
until the expiration of their leave. They there- 
upon secured suitable residences in the neighbor- 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


299 


hood of Great Hope and purposed settling down 
until their leave of absence expired, to live as 
Tennessee gentlemen, for such indeed they now 
almost considered themselves. 

Thus did these happy couples spend many happy 
days. Often did they arrange a meeting between 
themselves — a get-together party as it were, and 
many a merry laugh did they have when Grace 
recounted the incidents of the afternoon when 
Sir Reginald came over to the Wilcox residence to 
announce their engagement. The Major had sol- 
emnly asserted more than once, as an excuse 
doubtless for his own want of acumen, that Solo- 
mon and Socrates themselves would have been per- 
plexed at that extremely stupid and amusing coiz- 
tretemps. 

Some months had now passed since Sir Regi- 
nald's wedding, and his cup of happiness was 
filled to overflowing when Mary one morning whis- 
pered in his ear, telling him of the wonderful and 
hallowed mystery which was destined to bind 
their lives closer than ever. Sir Reginald decided 
that his son and heir be born on American soil, 
for, he said, half humorously, half seriously, ‘‘Who 
knows but that he might become eligible for the 
presidency of the Great Republic in years to 
come? Stranger things than that have hap- 
pened.” He reasoned that his son being born on 
American soil, did not in any way detract from 
his succession to the title and estates of Street- 
field. He wanted his son, he said, to have such 
measure of American citizenship obtained through 
his mother, as well as that acquired from the cir- 
cumstances of his being bom on American soil. 
It was decided that Sir Reginald and Mary would 
remain in the United States for some time to 


300 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


come. “Nobody would venture to predict,” con- 
cluded Sir Reginald, sententiously, “as to what the 
conditions of the world would be fifty years hence.” 

Quickly passed the happy months, until one 
morning Sir Reginald was able to herald the good 
news that a son and heir was born to the house of 
Streetfield. The news was cabled to the Rev. Dr. 
Sharpe, and to the steward of the Streetfield es- 
tates, who was instructed to spare no pains or 
money on the festivities he was directed to in- 
augurate in honor of the event. 

Now came the naming of the little heir, and 
Mary, with a delicacy of feeling worthy of herself, 
insisted that he be called William, knowing as she 
did the profound veneration Reginald held of his 
father’s memory. 

William was the most wonderful baby in the 
world, so thought indeed Sir Reginald and Mary, 
and Angus MacKenneth, the grandfather, and 
Silas Thompson. Never a day passed, but when 
Mr. Thompson was at liberty that he failed to call 
and see Mary's wonderful child, and he took inex- 
pressible pleasure in tracing in the child the fea- 
tures and resemblance not only to Mary, but also 
to Mary's sainted mother. 

William Burke, the military valet of Sir Regi- 
nald, declared that he put in the first claim upon 
the child for her Majesty's 110th foot regiment; 
and when Phil Knox came over, as he did when 
Dr. Vernon and Grace paid their respects and added 
their personal congratulations to the happy par- 
ents, he, Phil Knox, declared that he was now per- 
fectly happy, for he could sing, without any one 
daring to question his patriotism, “Columbia, the 
Gem of the Ocean,” and “Brittania Rule the 
Waves,” and he further declared that this child 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


301 


had surely helped to bring the two great English- 
speaking peoples together. 

When little William was four months old, a bolt 
was shot from a clear blue sky, over which there 
appeared not even a shadow of a cloud. Indeed, 
it would have been hard to have anticipated any 
misfortune outside of sickness, accident or the 
elements that could have thrown a shadow upon 
that happy household. The source from which the 
blow originated was absolutely outside the range 
of human perception. Yet a blow was struck and 
a deadly blow at that. 

This household, so happy, Mary with her baby 
and her husband, the best, the truest, and the 
most noble of men, and her revered father, the 
soul of integrity and honor, and dear old kindly 
Uncle Silas Thompson (Uncle Silas, as even Regi- 
nald now addressed him, to be in keeping with 
Mary, he said) , that this household should be 
struck by so cruel a blow, seemed a travesty of 
justice. 

This is what had come upon Sir Reginald Street- 
field and his household, and we shall relate the 
manner of its coming. 

Mr. Silas Thompson early one morning called 
upon Sir Reginald and Mary. Sir Reginald imme- 
diately saw that Uncle Silas was preoccupied 
and constrained, notwithstanding his efforts to 
appear unconcerned and affable. He succeeded in 
deceiving Mary, but not so Reginald. 

‘‘How is our little man today. Sir Reginald?” 
asked Silas Thompson, assuming a cheery voice. 

“He is just splendid. I do not believe that there 
was ever a boy like him. He is growing like a 
weed. Go in and see them. I am on my way to 
the stables. Bill Burke was here to say that one 


302 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


of our horses was taken ill during the night, and 
the veterinary was summoned. I am going to the 
stables to find out what is the matter,” replied 
Reginald. 

“Will you stay there while I go in and see the 
little man and Mary? Til join you in a few min- 
utes,” said Silas Thompson. 

“All right, Uncle Si. You know where to find 
me, that is, if you do not tarry too long with that 
wonderful boy of ours,” replied Sir Reginald. 

Silas went into the house, while Reginald stroll- 
ed toward the stables, and Silas Thompson, after 
satisfying himself as to the well-being of little Wil- 
liam and Mary, hastened to meet Sir Reginald. 

Sir Reginald divined from Silas Thompson’s ex- 
pression and actions that he had something of 
moment to say to him, and he concluded that 
something dreadful had happened to George Wil- 
cox and that he, Silas Thompson, not wanting to 
unduly alarm Mary, had thought it best to break 
the news to him at first. 

“Come, Uncle Silas,” he said. “What bad news 
have you? I can tell from your expression that 
you have something to say of an unpleasant na- 
ture. If I may venture a guess, I will warrant 
that it has some reference to George Wilcox. He 
is the only disquieting factor in our lives.” 

“You have a very clear perception, I see, sir. It 
is news of George, and something that will closely 
affect yourself, your wife, and your child,” replied 
Silas Thompson. 

“Affect Mary, and the boy, and myself?” 
echoed Sir Reginald in a surprised tone, and he 
added, “How can that be? Is he dead? Poor fellow! 
That indeed is ardently to be wished, not only for 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


303 


his own sake, but as well as that of his parents. 
Unfortunate Wilcox! He was a good and chival- 
rous man once. We were veiy close friends. I 
still have a very great regard for him, notwith- 
standing his recent behavior.’" 

'T wish I could say that he was dead, and that 
that was all the bad news,” rejoined Silas, in sad- 
dened tones. “Or that he were in prison, or killed 
or blinded, or paralyzed. Anything but what I 
have to say. No sir. Unfortunately for yourself, 
Mary, and the child, he is' quite well.” 

“You talk in enigmas. Uncle Silas. I cannot 
imagine how Mary, the boy, or myself can be 
affected in the most remotely possible way, by 
any of the actions of George Wilcox.” 

“That is just it, that is just it, Sir Reginald. 
It is a terrible blow, sir, a terrible blow.” 

“Now, come. Uncle Silas,” said Reginald, smil- 
ing in spite of himself, at the serious and dis- 
tressed expression of Mr. Thompson. “Come, do 
not speak in such vague and indefinite terms. 
Please tell me what you have to say.” 

Silas Thompson dropped down on a bench, 
which happened to be under a nearby poplar tree, 
and sank his face in his hands. “It is terrible, sir, 
and I cannot summon up courage to tell you.” 

“Come, come. Uncle Silas,” said Sir Reginald 
eagerly. “You have awakened my apprehensions, 
especially when you refer to Mary and the boy. 
Tell me, man, and do not beat about the bush.” 

“Sir Reginald, you will have to know, and Mary 
will have to know, and Angus MacKenneth will 
have to know, and the whole world will have to 
know,” exclaimed Silas in an almost piteous tone. 

“Have to know what, Silas? You are really be- 


304 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ginning to alarm me, with your repeated refer- 
ences to my wife and son,” said Reginald in an 
alarmed tone. 

‘'Well, then. Sir Reginald, I must tell you the 
bad news, be it ever so bad. George Wilcox is 
here, and he has declared that Mary is not your 
wife. 

“Mary not my wife ! Come, come, Silas. What de- 
rangement or distemper are you suffering from this 
morning? What mad saying is this?” 

“No madness, Sir Reginald, George declares that 
Veronica Dieulafoi is alive, and is now living in 
France.” 

“Mary not my wife, and my son !” — said Sir Regi- 
nald in a dazed and bewildered way. That cannot 
be. It must not be! Upon what evidence does 
George base this astounding and wild statement?” 

“George has seen her, sir, and has conversed 
with her, he has photographs of her, and, more 
than that, he has a letter for you from Veronica,” 
replied Mr. Silas Thompson. 

Sir Reginald Streetfield, manly, courageous, and 
self-possessed as he was, gave way completely un- 
der the staggering blow, and a great fear took 
possession of him. He remembered that he had 
failed to find Veronica's grave, notwithstanding 
all his efforts and the efforts of those whom he 
had employed in Paris to assist him. 

“What indeed, if she were alive, and George Wil- 
cox was right?” This thought came forcibly home 
to Sir Reginald. 

He made a tremendous effort to control himself, 
and said to Silas, in a sad and subdued voice. “If 
this be true, God help and pity Mary.” 

Then, losing control of himself again, he called 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


305 


out in agony of spirit. 'Tt cannot be true, Silas, 
it cannot be true. Should it prove to be so, I am 
the most wretched and unfortunate of men.” 

Then, with a supreme effort, he recovered his 
equipoise, and said to Silas, “I will go in now, and 
say good-bye to Mary. Perhaps it may be for the 
last time. We will then go over to your house to 
meet George. I want to hear him say this thing 
himself. Do not concern yourself about me. I 
shall carry this thing through, whatever comes of 
it. My noble father's death in the prime of his 
life was my first great sorrow, then followed the 
loss of Veronica and our child. This caused, as 
you know, the death of my sainted mother while 
I was on active service in India. But this great in- 
justice to Mary and my son! It cannot be, Silas ! It 
cannot be ! It were better, indeed, a thousand times, 
that I had never been born than that I should have 
brought this terrible affliction upon them. Come, 
my weakness has now passed. I will be strong. I 
will go with you immediately in to see Wilcox. 
'‘George Wilcox! What devilishness has indeed 
seized hold of him ?” 

Reginald bade Mary good-bye in his usual man- 
ner, for he had by this time gained such complete 
mastery over himself that she did not suspect for 
a moment from his voice and demeanor that her 
husband had passed through the most terrible 
agony of mind and soul that is possible for any 
man to go through. 

Jumping into the vehicle with Mr. Silas Thomp- 
son, they sped to Great Hope to meet George Wil- 
cox. He sat silent and pensive. The news had 
truly overwhelmed him, and had blunted his facul- 
ties. He wished to collect his thoughts. He was 


306 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


as a man lost; a man utterly crushed both in soul 
and spirit. Silas Thompson respected his silence, 
and thus did these two wend their way sadly to- 
wards their destination, Reginald to hear, perhaps, 
the doom pronounced upon all his future happi- 
ness and peace of mind. It was agonizing to Silas 
Thompson to even contemplate that, perhaps, 
Mary McKenneth, the one human being he loved, 
better than any object on earth, or in heaven, was 
to have her tender and noble heart crushed, and 
all her prospects of future happiness utterly de- 
stroyed. In short that she was to be cast into an 
abyss of despair. 

To have an intelligent conception of the events 
just related, and of those still to be related, and 
to carry on a logical continuity of this narrative, 
it Will be necessary for us to retrace our steps for 
about fifteen months to the time when George 
Wilcox last left Tennessee for Paris. Prior to 
that time, George being home, found it hard to 
get money, as his father had kept to his deter- 
mination to place him on a moderate allowance 
and upon no account to exceed it; but George, 
learning that his mother had sold some property, 
through a firm of New York brokers, what did he 
do but prevail upon Mrs. Wilcox to allow him to 
go to New York and collect this money for her. 
His father being away for a few days, George was 
thereby able to obtain the consent of his mother 
to do this, which he, indeed, did to the extent of 
ten thousand dollars. George decamped with this 
money to Paris, and after arriving there, he had 
written to his mother, telling her what he had 
done, and faithfully promising to return the ten 
thousand dollars in a little while. There was noth- 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


307 


ing left for the Wilcoxes to do but to accept the 
situation or bring disgrace upon an honored name. 
They therefore accepted the fait accompli, and 
George was permitted to proceed along his chosen 
path without molestation, or even the reproach of 
his parents, who kept the knowledge of this last 
escapade of his to themselves, not even letting his 
sister Grace know about it. 

He was not many days in Paris before he fell in 
with Monsieur Laudet. Monsieur Laudet was in 
sore straits for money at this time, although he 
assumed, as he always did, an appearance of af- 
fluence and wealth. He soon discovered that George 
Wilcox had something like forty thousand francs, 
and he adroitly mapped out a subtle program by 
which they could , enhance that amount to an al- 
most fabulous sum, by using it along those lines 
with which George had become only too familiar, 
from his previous associations with Monsieur 
Laudet. 

Monsieur Laudet was an excellent judge of 
horseflesh, and besides, being well known to a 
ring of gamesters and sharpers, he was able to 
place George's money to such good advantage or 
rather should be said, bad advantage, that he soon 
recouped his failing fortune and was once more in 
flourishing circumstances. Laudet and Wilcox 
grew bolder and bolder, with the rapid mounting of 
their ill-gotten gains, until they Anally decided upon 
going to Monte Carlo to try their fortunes at the 
tables there. 

These gamesters succeeded beyond their great- 
est hopes and anticipations, and their winnings at 
the tables of Monte Carlo soon exceeded half a 
million francs. After a few weeks, luck seemed to 


308 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


turn against them, but Laudet was too old a hand 
to persist in playing. He literally had to coerce 
his companion to come away with him to Paris. 
George was at first insistent upon playing further, 
but he feared to disregard the admonitions of his 
friend Laudet. 

When back in Paris, Mr. George Wilcox found 
that he was still three hundred thousand francs to 
the good, when he totalled his winnings at Paris, 
and at Monte Carlo. He decided while the spirit 
moved him, he said, upon sending his mother two 
hundred thousand francs, reparation and restitu- 
tion for all the money he had taken from his par- 
ents from time to time. He sent it to his mother. 
He knew that she would not fail to receive it. Had 
he forwarded his letter to his father, he was not 
certain whether he would accept the letter or not. 
His father had refused after his last escapade to 
even correspond with him. 

You may be sure that the arrival of so large a 
sum engendered a hope in the breasts of his par- 
ents that perhaps at last George was going to turn 
over a new leaf, and that this was the beginning 
of his returning sanity. His father generously 
placed the whole of that amount in George's name 
in some very promising investments. Monsieur 
Laudet's and George's luck seemed to continue and 
they spent money most prodigally, and continued 
to occupy the, to them, proud position of leaders 
of the most fashionable and profligate set in that 
city of pleasure. Laudet had removed his wife to 
more pretentious quarters, and once again sur- 
rounded her with comforts and luxuries. 

The remarkable influence he at will exercised 
over his wife grew more and more pronounced. He 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


309 


gradually began to assume to her mind the pro- 
portions of a demi-god. He could at will keep her 
under a semi-hypnotic influence, and reduce her to 
the condition of an automaton and made to do ex- 
actly what she was told. Josephine, however, 
would recoil from him at intervals, and > during 
these intervals would appear to be more like her 
old self. 

To do Laudet justice, he never failed to respect 
his wife's delicacy of feeling, and treated her with 
every consideration. Laudet had never taken home 
any of his fast companions, and George knew 
nothing of his being married. 

Thus life continued to be one success after an- 
other with these two friends in Paris. Dame For- 
tune never seemed to tire of smiling upon them. 
But that fickle Dame, however, suddenly ceased 
to bestow her favors upon them and their fortune 
began to dwindle appreciably until eventually they 
were left without any means of support. 

They kept up for a few months an appearance 
of affluence upon their impudence and credit until 
they sadly realized that even this last recourse was 
about played out. 

Josephine, having some remnant left of her own 
fortune from her father's estate, was able to main- 
tain her household, although she reduced her ex- 
penses to a minimum when she found that Laudet 
could no longer assist her in keeping up so preten- 
tious an establishment and this he had not done 
for some months. She dismissed all her super- 
fluous servants, and limited her household ex- 
penses to a very moderate sum. As misfortune 
continued to direct her shafts against these two 
gamesters, it occurred to Laudet that perhaps it 


310 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


would be as well if he took Mr. George Wilcox 
home with him, so that they might be able to 
maintain, by economy, and perhaps by a return of 
good luck which had so disastrously deserted them, 
some sort of appearance. 

There were some redeeming qualities in Lau- 
det’s nature, as we have already stated. He was 
genuinely attached to George Wilcox, for Wilcox 
was a really likeable man; and being associated in 
so many ventures and adventures had a tendency 
to cement their friendship. Much to Mr. Wilcox’s 
surprise, Laudet imparted the information to him 
one morning that he had a wife and had been 
married for several years, and suggested to him 
that he should make his home with them for the 
present. Laudet was fully aware that Wilcox had 
known the Dieulafois, more especially Veronica, 
and also that he had been in former years a close 
friend of Sir Reginald Streetfield. He did not, 
however, reveal to George his connections with the 
Dieulafois. He particularly wished to conceal the 
fact that his wife was a Dieulafoi. 

Having arranged with Madame Laudet to re- 
ceive George as a guest in her home, he cautioned 
her against revealing her family name, or of 
evincing any knowledge of the Dieulafois. So 
Monsieur Laudet took George home with him and 
he took up his abode with him there. George was 
glad to do this for he had been living under mis- 
erable conditions lately. 

It was a day or so after he had been at the 
Laudets, that George met Josephine. He was tre- 
mendously surprised to observe the amazing re- 
semblance between Madame Laudet and Street- 
field’s deceased wife. The resemblance was so 
striking that he could not reconcile himself to the 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


311 


fact that she was some other than Veronica, while 
Laudet, standing by, appeared to enjoy his per- 
plexity. Madame Laudet ’s voice, her expression, 
her eyes, even her figure, were Veronica’s. No 
wonder that George was startled. Josephine had 
been cautioned not to evince any interest at these 
expressions of surprise on the part of George. 
They were allowed to pass unnoticed. George was 
well brought up and still retaining some of the gal- 
lantry and chivalry of a southern gentleman, he 
refrained from giving utterance to any words of 
surprise. During those subsequent occasions when 
George Wilcox was thrown into Josephine’s pocie- 
ey, he had become more and more perplexed and 
amazed at the extraordinary resemblance Jose- 
phine bore to Veronica. On one occasion after he 
had become better acquainted with Josephine, he 
told her of her resemblance to the deceased wife 
of a friend of his, and asked her whether that 
could be accounted for by any remote relationship 
with Veronica Dieulafoi. To this question Jose- 
phine had been prompted how to answer. She 
being now well under the control of Laudet’s sin- 
ister influence, answered in the negative. 

It was not long after this that one morning, 
while these three were together at breakfast and 
matters with Laudet and George were drifting 
more and more to the bad, if that were possible, a 
sudden inspiration occurred to Laudet, and that 
was nothing less than to commercialize his wife’s 
extraordinary resemblance to her deceased sister, 
and through that fortunate circumstance to mulct 
Sir Reginald Streetfield out of an immense sum of 
money. 

Thereupon Laudet, exercising his profound sway 


312 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


over his wife's mental faculties, minutely instruct- 
ed her how to act and what to say in carrying out 
the various deceptive details of his diabolical 
scheme. Having prepared the net, he had now to 
draw Mr. Wilcox into it. 

One day, as though in a burst of confidence, 
having previously extracted a promise of eternal 
secrecy, he confided the startling information to 
Mr. George Wilcox that Josephine was his wife in 
name only; in fact, his paramour, and that she 
was none other than Veronica Dieulafoi, the wife of 
Streetfield, and that he had enticed her away 
when she accompanied her mother to France, aft- 
er the death of Monsieur Dieulafoi in London, Sir 
Reginald being at that time in India on active 
service. Monsieur Laudet pointed out to George 
Wilcox that Sir Reginald ^reetfield having mar- 
ried again, and his wife, having borne him a son, 
it would be a simple matter to mulct Sir Reginald 
out of large sums of money from time to time, 
by the skillful carrying out of his plans. George 
Wilcox's affairs were in a desperate condition, and 
he could not very well appeal to his parents for 
money, and besides he bore a grudge against Mary 
for her prompt and decisive rejection of his offer 
of marriage. He was now possessed of a diaboli- 
cal spirit, so that when this opportunity presented 
itself to avenge himself upon Mary, being uncon- 
sciously and completely under the malign influence 
of Laudet, he readily fell in with the foul plot. 

Had not even Emily Lawrence thrown him over, 
and married Major Brosby George Wilcox placed 
the blame for this on Sir Reginald. Had he not 
taken Major Brosby over with him from England, 
and introduced him to the Wilcoxes? 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


313 


One of the curious psychical changes that had 
taken place in George was the perversion of his 
attachment to and respect for Reginald into a 
most consuming and implacable hatred. 

Laudet proceeded to carry out his diabolical 
scheme. Under his hypnotic influence, and at his 
dictation, he caused his wife to write a letter in 
which Sir Reginald was told that the report of 
Veronica's death was false, and that she herself 
was indeed Veronica, and that she, after the 
birth and death of their child, had experienced an 
unaccountable revulsion of feeling towards him, 
and that she desired neither to see him nor even 
to hear of him again, and that she had been able 
all these years to make a fair living for herself 
by her musical talents, but that in the last year or 
two, however, her health had been failing, and 
now, learning that he had married again, and that 
his wife had borne him a son, she did not desire to 
disturb his present domestic arrangements and 
happiness, because she would not and could not, 
under any circumstances, live with him again; but 
she expected him to support her, and, should he 
wish to see her he would find her at a certain 
address, (the address, of course, was a fictitious 
one, supplied by Laudet) and that, should he do 
so, he would find her in a delicate state of health, 
and in need of support, and concluded by saying 
that she was enclosing a portrait of herself. 

The letter was entrusted to George Wilcox, who 
was to deliver it in person to Sir Reginald Street- 
field. George gloated over all this in his own 
mind, and mentally enacted the scene that would 
take place when Sir Reginald Streetfield read the 
contents of that letter. George Wilcox took ex- 


314 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


quisite delight in picturing to himself Reginald's 
misery, and besides, was he not to bear witness to 
the truth revealed in Josephine's letter? The vil- 
lainous scheme was consummately planned, and 
both Laudet and George felt sure of its success. 
George Wilcox was to demand fifty thousand 
pounds, the minimum price for their silence, and 
their influence in finally adjusting matters to Reg- 
inald’s satisfaction. Wilcox left for his home in 
Tennessee when all the details of the horrible 
scheme had been carefully and skillfully arranged, 
and on his arriving there as a part of their plan, 
he was to simulate contrition and was to ask his 
parents for their forgiveness, and having been as- 
sured of that, he was next to find some suitable 
person to carry a message to Sir Reginald Street- 
field. George thought at once of Silas Thompson. 
George knew that the deep regard, almost rever- 
ence, of Mr. Silas Thompson for Mary, would make 
him a safe messenger. In a day or so, after 
George's advent home, an event he had contrived 
to keep quiet for the time being, he went over to 
Great Hope to see Silas Thompson. We may be 
sure that he was greatly surprised at this unex- 
pected visit, but his surprise turned to consterna- 
tion when the purpose of that visit was revealed. 

“Veronica has agreed to accept fifty thousand 
pounds less my commission, as the smallest sum 
for her perpetual silence," said Mr. Wilcox, after 
he had told his tale to Mr. Silas Thompson. 

“I do not believe one single syllable of your ex- 
traordinary story, Mr. George Wilcox," replied 
Mr. Thompson quickly, and decisively. “It is a 
story of your own damnable invention, made up and 
concocted by you for the purpose of blackmail." 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


315 


*‘Just as you like, Mr. Silas Thompson,” rejoined 
George, coldly. '‘Calling me names will get you 
nowhere. I am here to deliver this letter to Street- 
field, and I have come to you simply to protect 
Mary to the fullest extent of my power. It is up 
to you to help me to do that.” George knew that 
he had touched the most tender chord in ^Silas’s 
heart, and he was convinced that he now had Silas 
Thompson's CQ-operation. 

He said nothing more, but waited for Silas to 
break the silence, which he did after being lost in 
deep thought for a few minutes. 

“Mr. Wilcox,” he said, in earnest tones, “Mary 
must be protected at all costs since she is now in 
this terrible plight, that is, should your story prove 
true.” 

“As to its being true, you need have no doubts 
at all,” rejoined George. “In her letter to Sir Reg- 
inald Streetfield, Veronica told me she had sug- 
gested to Sir Reginald that he go over to France 
and see her and verify everything himself, and 
you can go over yourself. You were present at the 
marriage, and surely you can tell, if the story I 
have just told you has been made up and con- 
cocted.” 

“If what you say is true, then you are right as 
to Mary's position, Master George. Great God, I 
cannot bring myself to believe your story! What 
you say cannot be true, granting every possible con- 
catenation of unholy circumstances.” 

Mr. Silas Thompson was in his way, a wise and 
shrewd man, and well versed in all the wiles of 
man and the devil, and he came to the conclusion 
in his own mind, that George Wilcox had some- 
thing on Sir Reginald, as the phrase goes, and as 


316 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the village of Great Hope would have expressed it. 
But what that something was, Silas Thompson 
could not for the life of him divine at that time. 
He discredited unhesitatingly, and entirely scout- 
ed the possibility of Veronica’s being alive, but he 
felt nevertheless that there was something tan- 
gible behind it all. He knew George’s character 
too well. to suppose for a moment that he would 
come back with such a tale, had there not been 
some foundation for the story somewhere. He 
was convinced that Veronica was dead, but even, 
he argued to himself, were she alive, he knew that 
young lady so well, that he was justly convinced 
that she was utterly incapable of acting in the 
base manner accredited to her by Mr. George Wil- 
cox. He could not, however, explain this story on 
any rational hypothesis, except that George was 
really under the delusion that he was telling the 
truth. 

Silas Thompson therefore resolved upon being 
as wise as a serpent, and as meek as a lamb, in 
dealing with George and his tale. 

He pretended to be highly indignant that 
George Wilcox should humiliate and debase him- 
self to act in any sort of capacity in this nefarious 
matter and in this atrocious way, even granting 
the fact that Veronica was alive. 

'*1 will tell you. Master George Wilcox, that this 
is the worst thing that you have ever done in 
your life, even if Veronica were alive. God knows 
your conduct has been very reprehensible for some 
years past, and you are bringing the gray hairs 
of your parents in sorrow to the grave. You have 
almost broken your sister’s heart, and now you 
want to break the heart of your cousin Mary. 
What excuse can you possibly offer?” 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


317 


'‘Money, Mr. Silas Thompson. Fifty thousand 
pounds. That is our excuse, money, about two 
hundred and fifty thousand dollars,'’ answered 
George, brazenly. 

“From whom -do you purpose getting this 
money?” asked Silas Thompson. 

“From Sir Reginald Streetfield, of course. Regi- 
nald will pay almost any sum to save Mary and his 
son from disgrace,” said George with the utmost 
assurance. 

“If I know Sir Reginald aright, he will do no 
such thing. He will not give you one cent, nor 
will he consent to live with Mary for one moment 
while under a cloud,” said Mr. Thompson with 
great emphasis. 

“Maybe he will, maybe he won’t, but I have a 
strong impression that he will. What is fifty 
thousand pounds to him? I am told that he is ex- 
tremely wealthy,” rejoined George, nonchalantly. 

“I would suggest that in the meantime you keep 
this story to yourself, and see what Sir Reginald 
has to say to you,” severely added Silas. 

“That is exactly what I purpose doing, Mr. Silas 
Thompson. Here are some photographs of Veron- 
ica. Please scrutinize them. You will doubtless 
recognize the supposedly deceased wife of Sir 
Reginald Streetfield, baronet.” 

Mr. Silas Thompson took the proffered photo- 
graphs and scrutinized them very closely, and then 
said in a sad hopeless voice “These are indeed the 
photographs of Veronica— I tell you what I will 
do, Mr. George. I will go over early tomorrow 
morning and see Sir Reginald and will bring him 
over here with me to this house, and you can 
meet him here.” 


318 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


“That suits me exactly, Mr. Thompson. You 
can tell him just what I need. It will save me a 
lot of explaining. I shall keep these letters and 
photographs and will deliver them, in person, into 
the hands of Sir Reginald Streetfield,’’ replied 
George. 

“Master George, it were better had you been 
strangled at your birth, than to be mixed up in 
this damnable plot, and help me God, I will expose 
it,'' said Silas, with great stress. 

“Keep cool, old man," rejoined George jauntily. 
“What is the use of getting into a tear? I was 
not strangulated at my birth, but on the contrary, 
have arrived at man's estate, and therefore need 
funds to keep me a going concern in that es- 
tate. I will meet you here tomorrow morning at 
10 o'clock. That will give you ample time to see 
Reginald and be back. So long, Mr. Thompson. I 
promised mother not to be away too long." And 
climbing into his buggy, George drove toward the 
Wilcox plantation. 

We may remark here that George's parents 
thought it prudent not to tell him of the invest- 
ment that his father had so generously placed for 
him out of the money he had sent over to his 
mother while he was in Paris, hence George was 
under the impression that he was penniless. The 
calloused unscrupulousness of George horrified 
Silas Thompson. He could hardly bring himself to 
believe that this was the same curly headed boy 
that used to so often in days gone by sit on his 
knee and take long rides with him over the coun- 
try side. 

When George left, Mr. Silas Thompson fell into 
a deep reverie. He felt intensely sorry for Mary 


A VILLAINOUS PILOT 


319 


and Sir Reginald. There was not any way he could 
see at present to circumvent this diabolical plot, 
for he was convinced that there were more than two 
in it. It would be utterly useless for him to at- 
tempt to influence George with money, even 
though he had the necessary amount, which he 
had not. Mr. Silas Thompson would on no account 
compound a felony, for that v/as how he regard- 
3d this whole villainous transaction of George. 
Mr. Silas Thompson passed a most distressful 
night, and when the morning broke he arose from 
his sleepless couch to go to Sir Reginald, his mind 
still in a medley of perplexity and uncertainty. 
He hastened on his way to the residence of 
Sir Reginald, which was within a radius of six 
miles from Great Hope, picturesquely situ- 
ated on the crest of a hill, the sides of which were 
covered with magniflcent magnolia and pine trees. 

We have stated that Sir Reginald Streetfield 
was steeped in deep study as he journeyed to- 
wards Silas Thompson's house, where he was to 
meet Wilcox face to face, and to hear from his 
lips perhaps the pronouncement of the doom of 
all his future happiness, and what was inflnitely 
worse, the doom of Mary's future happiness, and 
a stigma placed upon the name of Streetfleld; but 
Reginald soon aroused himself and he went over all 
the events of Silas's interview with George Wil- 
cox. Sir Reginald closely questioned him as to 
the minutest details that had transpired in that 
tragic interview. 

‘‘Should Veronica be alive there is only one 
course open to me," Sir Reginald determinedly 
said. “And I am in honor bound to release Mary 
and my dear son. It will be a terrible injustice 


320 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


to them. Unfortunate Veronica. If she is alive I can- 
not imagine what her life must have been all these 
long years. As to the death of our child, there 
is no doubt of that. Perhaps Veronica went sud- 
denly insane. I have been informed that some 
women do go unexpectedly insane under such cir- 
cumstances, and was possibly placed in an asylum 
and lost sight of after the death of her mother. 
I have no knowledge of her having other relatives. 
Should such have been the case it will account for 
a great deal, especially as to my failure to find her 
grave or any trace of her.” 

Sir Reginald, like all strong men, was able to 
suppress his emotions although it tore open his 
heart to do so. 

At length they arrived at Silas’s house, and 
alighting, and fastening the horse to a hitching 
post, Mr. Silas Thompson and Reginald entered 
the house together. Awaiting them there was 
Wilcox unconcernedly smoking a cigar. Sir Regi- 
nald looked pale and very grave with his jaws 
firmly set, while Silas Thompson looked troubled 
and distressed. Silas Thompson having sent Aunt 
Janet on a mission, as a precautionary measure, 
lest any word should be overheard by that alert 
lady, he carefully closed the door. The two gentle- 
men then faced Mr. George Wilcox, who did not 
even deign to rise at their entrance. Sir Reginald 
utterly ignored him, and left it to George Wilcox 
to begin the conversation. The two men had ex- 
changed no salutation, but this did not in the least 
way appear to disturb Mr. Wilcox. 

“You have heard,” Wilcox said, “the unfortu- 
nate news that I have brought you, Sir Reginald 
Streetfield, from Mr. Silas Thompson.” 


A VILLAINOUS PILOT 


321 


To this Sir Reginald made no reply. He had 
made up his mind not to exchange a single word 
with Mr. George Wilcox. 

'Well, then your silence is admitted evidence 
that you have,’’ continued Mr. Wilcox. "You have 
heard Veronica’s terms for her silence in this mat- 
ter. Here is the letter from your wife, and some 
photographs of the real Lady Streetfield. She will 
be glad to hear from you in the matter at your 
earliest convenience. Sir Reginald Streetfield.” 

Sir Reginald took the letter and the photographs 
from George Wilcox, nor did he give him the satis- 
faction of reading the letter at that time, nor did 
he even glance at the photographs. He simply 
put them into his pocket, turned on his heels, and 
walked out of the room, gently drawing Silas 
Thompson with him. 

In a few minutes Mr. Thompson returned and 
addressed Mr. George Wilcox, saying, "Sir Regi- 
nald Streetfield desires to say that any communi- 
cations he may wish to make will be made 
through me. He has retained my services as his 
legal adviser. Should we have anything to say 
to you. Master George, I will let you know. Re- 
member, however, that perfect silence has been 
pledged by you, to me, in this matter.” 

"Perfect silence as long as it suits my purpose, 
Mr. Silas Thompson, and not one moment longer. 
I may suggest that this matter does not brook of 
much delay. Good-bye.” George Wilcox abruptly 
left the room, and entering his buggy, was soon 
lost to sight. 

Sir Reginald Streetfield opened the letter and 
read it over several times. His face had taken on 
an ashen gray color, and he looked twenty years 


322 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


older. He then scrutinized the photographs and 
decisively said, “There can be no question about it. 
Uncle Silas. This letter is in her handwriting, and 
these photographs are hers, but of one thing I am 
absolutely certain, and that is, that Veronica 
never wrote that letter of her own volition. I 
know Veronica too well. She is utterly incapable 
of such sentiments as contained in this letter.’" 

“The photographs are very true ones, as I re- 
member her,"" said Mr. Thompson, closely scruti- 
nizing the pictures again. He then carefully read 
the letter which Reginald had handed to him. 

“The letter looks genuine, I must confess. Sir 
Reginald, but as to the sentiment of it, I agree 
with you entirely. It is altogether foreign to any- 
thing that Veronica would have written of her own 
will, and notwithstanding these apparently indubi- 
table proofs, I am convinced that you are the vic- 
tim of a plot. We shall have to pick our way 
very cautiously. We have a set of utterly un- 
scrupulous and hardened scoundrels to deal with. 
This is what I suggest. We must leave for France 
at once. Sir Reginald. We will have to take Angus 
MacKenneth into our confidence. Mary can wait. 
We must save her all we can. Should the matter 
turn out to be a plot, it would be only inflicting 
useles torture upon her to tell her anything just 
now. We shall have to go to Paris immediately. 
The plot is a dangerous one, and will need more 
heads than yours and mine. We must ask Major 
Brosby, and Dr. Vernon to go with us. They can 
bring their servants along with them. Those 
three men know Paris better than any of us, and 
may be invaluable to us. When we get to Paris, 
we shall call upon your supposed wife. You note 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


323 


I say supposed, Sir Reginald, for I do not believe, 
in spite of all this documentary evidence produced 
by Wilcox, that this woman who wrote you that 
letter is your wife. It is a damnable plot. Sir Reg- 
inald, it is a damnable • plot, sir. But to go on. 
Angus MacKenneth must stay here to look after 
Mary and the boy. Mary as I said, will have to 
be kept in darkness for a while. You must invent 
some excuse to get away without exciting her sus- 
picions. The same applies to Major Brosby, Dr. 
Vernon and myself. Dr. Vernon knows the haunts 
of George Wilcox and of his disreputable com- 
panion, Monsieur Laudet. I am convinced that 
this man Laudet has had a great deal to do with 
the whole damnable transaction.” 

“But how came they in possession of Veronica’s 
photographs and how do you account for her 
handwriting?” said Reginald. 

“It is a strange, prodigious, and remarkable 
cancatination of circumstances that will all ex- 
plain themselves, when once we arrive at a solu- 
tion of the riddle. Sir Reginald, and Monsieur 
Alphonso Laudet holds the key to that solution, 
and Master George, you will find, has only been a 
tool in the hands of a master. But we must act 
with energy and dispatch. We must sail by the 
very first boat we can get. That we must do. I 
will see Master George and tell him that you have 
decided to see Veronica and that you are going to 
France right away, as we say in America, and 
that nothing can be decided until you have seen 
and spoken with Veronica. You had better let 
matters remain in my hands in respect to Angus 
MacKenneth. I can do better with him than you 
can. He is an impulsive man, and has a most fiery 


324 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


disposition, but I know how to deal with him.’" 

'T will do as you say, Uncle Silas. I have re- 
tained you to assist me, and am entirely in your 
hands. To tell you the truth, I have an almost 
overmastering desire to take this man Wilcox by 
the throat and shake him like a dog until he gives 
us the truth of this matter.'' 

“That will not get you anywhere, or anything. 
Sir Reginald. The other man will be left. Our 
purpose must be to keep this matter absolutely 
quiet until we arrive at a solution of the whole 
mystery. In the first place, I shall have to prevent 
Angus MacKenneth from turning upon you. I 
must see him and get him to realize the injustice 
of such a procedure. He will then turn against 
George Wilcox and will want to rend him in twain. 
This must be prevented. Mr. Angus MacKenneth 
will keep good watch over Mary and the boy, and 
I know that George has a wholesome fear of him, 
so he will leave Mary alone, and will not molest 
her in any way.'’ A council of war was called 
next day at Silas Thompson's and Dr. Vernon was 
telegraphed for, and Angus MacKenneth and Ma- 
jor Brosby were notified to be present. Major 
Brosby was thunderstruck when he heard the 
news and as for Dr. Vernon; he was so incredulous 
as to be inclined to treat the matter as a practical 
joke. Dr. Vernon, however, had finally to admit 
the seriousness of the situation, and he offered to 
worm the real facts of the case out of George Wil- 
cox, over whom he still had some little influence. 
Mr. Silas Thompson predicted that it would be a 
waste of effort but consented to Dr. Vernon mak- 
ing the attempt. This Dr. Vernon proceeded forth- 
with to do, but had to report a total failure, as 
Mr. Thompson had anticipated. 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


325 


George Wilcox was very bland and innocent with 
Dr. Vernon. He protested that he was simply com- 
missioned by Veronica to carry the letter to Sir 
Reginald. All these statements, he said could 
easily be verified or confuted in Paris. Beyond 
this Dr. Vernon could get nothing out of George 
Wilcox. 

Mary was informed that Reginald had been sud- 
denly called back to Europe with Major Brosby, 
and that they had to sail immediately that he 
would probably have to stay away for a month or 
more, and that the nature of his business during 
that period was such that she might not possibly 
hear from him for some time, but she should not 
on that account alarm herself. In the meantime 
she was told that her father would stay with her, 
and keep her company. Mary was of course sur- 
prised at Sir Reginald's sudden departure, but she 
reasoned with herself that Reggie's estates in 
England must sometimes need earnest and close 
attention, and as for Major Brosby, he was liable 
to prompt and sudden orders; but what really per- 
plexed her was that Uncle Silas Thompson should 
have to go too. 

This was explained to Mary in this way. Sir 
Reginald Streetfield, she was told, had such a high 
regard for the legal acumen and the wide experi- 
ence of Uncle Silas, that he had decided to take 
him with him to Europe to help straighten out 
some unlooked for entanglements they had not an- 
ticipated. This seemed to satisfy as well as grat- 
ify Mary, as an implied compliment to her Uncle 
Silas. In regard to Angus MacKenneth, it was 
just as Silas Thompson had predicted. Angus flew 
into a terrible rage. This man Reginald Street- 


326 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


field had caused this awful disgrace, he thun- 
dered, to fall upon his daughter, but with quiet 
reasoning, Mr. Thompson was enabled to get An- 
gus to see matters in their true light. He clearly 
pointed out to Angus MacKenneth that there was 
not the faintest trace of deception or of dishonor- 
able conduct that could be attributed to Sir Regi- 
nald Streetfield. Angus then, as Silas Thompson 
anticipated, turned upon George Wilcox and he 
swore he would tear him limb from limb. But 
Mr. Silas Thompson knew well the ways of Angus. 
He allowed MacKenneth's wrath to exhaust itself 
from sheer vehemence, and when he had done this 
by his terrible invectives and denunciations, Silas 
proceeded to point out to him the injustice of his 
remarks about Sir Reginald, and the stupidity of 
his threats against Wilcox. Mr. Angus MacKen- 
neth was essentially a just man, and anything 
savoring of injustice rankled in his bosom. It was 
the cruel injustice to his daughter which caused 
him to break out in such paroxysms of wrath. Silas 
Thompson pointed out to him that he was doing 
Sir Reginald a great injustice; that at the most 
Sir Reginald was the innocent victim of unfortu- 
nate and unforeseen circumstances. 

‘Tt is all a plot, simply and entirely, Angus, 
you have got to do your part to circumvent it. To 
act irrationally never has gained anybody any- 
thing. Our efforts must be directed to prevent any 
knowledge of this reaching the ears of Mary. 
There your work will be invaluable, Angus,” said 
Mr. Thompson to Mr. McKenneth. And he con- 
tinued, ‘‘George Wilcox must not be molested. We 
can depend upon his not divulging anything at 
present.” 


A VILLAINOUS PLOT 


327 


The matter was arranged as satisfactorily as 
possible under these very distressing circum- 
stances. The party consisting of Sir Reginald 
Streetfield, Mr. Silas Thompson, Dr. Vernon, Ma- 
jor Brosby, and our three musketeers. Will Burke, 
Phil Knox and Harry Brooks, left almost immedi- 
ately for New York en route to France. 


CHAPTEPw XIII 


THE PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 

The passage across the Atlantic was an un- 
eventful one. There were not even those not un- 
usual incidents of bad weather and stormy seas, 
or a man overboard, to take the thoughts of our 
party away from the delicate and unpleasant mis- 
sion upon which they were bent and upon which 
so much depended. 

Arriving at Paris, the party elected to stop at 
the Hotel St. Petersburg, Rue de Carmartin, as 
being centrally situated. The only one of the 
party that exhibited any manifestation of pleasure 
was Mr. Silas Thompson. He rubbed his hands 
gleefully, and would repeatedly reiterate to him- 
self, “Think of me, Silas Thompson, being in Paris. 
Life is certainly a conundrum, and a kaleidoscope. 
I shall be a globe-trotter before I get through my 
life. How remarkable! How strange! How prodi- 
gious!” He did not rest until he received the as- 
surance of both Major Brosby and Dr. Vernon that 
they would between them find time and leisure to 
pilot him around the interesting places with which 
that city abounds. 

We may as well mention here that both 
Major Brosby and Dr. Vernon were true to 
their promises and that Mr. Thompson was given 
the opportunity of seeing the Chemin de Fer de 
Ceinture, the Bastile, the Boulevard du Palais and 
the Boulevard St. Michel, Rue de la Paix, the 
Place de I’Etoile, the Luxemburg Garden, the 
Jarbin des Plantes, the Buttes-Chaumont Park, 
the Champ de Mars, the Eiffel Tower, the Bois de 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 329 


Boulonge, and the Bois de Vincennes, the Arc de 
Triomphe, the Place du Carrousel, the Place de la 
Concorde, Place Louvois, the Louvre, the Tuileries, 
the Elysee Palace, the Luxembourg Palace, the 
Palais Bourbon, the palace of the Legion of Hon- 
or, the St. Germain-des-Pres, and other places of 
interest, the exploring of which Silas Thompson 
thoroughly appreciated. 

It was interesting to observe how well he re- 
membered the salient points in the history of most 
of them. It was quite evident that he had recently 
made a study of many of them. That was Silas 
Thompson’s way. Anything that he undertook, he 
consistently strove to do thoroughly and well. In 
his sight-seeing he was no less attentive to details 
than in any matter he undertook in his own pro- 
fession. He aimed, he said, to get the full meas- 
ure of his visit to Paris as when he visited England. 

The address that was given to Sir Reginald 
Streetfield as purporting to be that of Veronica 
was in a nearby town called Antenil. Sir Regi- 
nald had written to the supposed Veronica at the 
address given. The letter as a matter of course 
was intercepted by Laudet. Sir Reginald received 
a reply the next day giving an address in another 
suburban town, naming the day and the time for 
the momentous interview. On the day and at the 
time appointed Sir Reginald Streetfield, Mr. Silas 
Thompson, and Major Brosby punctually present- 
ed themselves at the gate of a fairly prosperous 
looking villa. 

The giving of a different address struck Sir 
Reginald and the rest of the party as unusual and 
tended to strengthen their suspicions. 

Silas Thompson was added to the party because 
Veronica was particularly gracious to him when 


330 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 

she met him in England, and his unusual mode of 
dress would not be likely to escape her memory. 

When these three gentlemen arrived at the ad- 
dress given, they were ushered into a large draw- 
ing room. There sedately sat Josephine apparently 
awaiting their arrival. The visitors, on seeing her 
were completely deceived by her remarkable re- 
semblance to Veronica. 

“Veronica!” exclaimed Sir Reginald, greatly agi- 
tated and motionless from amazement. 

“Veronica you may well say. Sir Reginald Street- 
field,” said the supposed Veronica. “Yes, Veronica 
Dieulafoi, your wife. Please be seated, gentlemen. 
You wish to see me, I am told.” 

All this was spoken in English, with the most cul- 
tured accent. Her looks, her eyes, her voice, her 
gestures, her form, were those of Veronica. The 
effect upon Sir Reginald was startling and painful 
in the extreme. He had been deeply and fervently 
attached to Veronica; and although he had mar- 
ried again, he never ceased to mourn her and 
cherish her, and here she was before him, alive, 
and apparently as well as ever. 

“We have called,” said Major Brosby, assuming 
to be spokesman of the party, as Sir Reginald was 
too overcome to speak, “at your request. Lady 
Streetfield.” 

“It is true, Sir Reginald Streetfield,” replied 
Josephine, ignoring Major Brosby, and addressing 
her remarks to Sir Reginald. “You have called at 
my request. I want to convince you, sir, that I 
am Veronica Dieulafoi, your long-forgotten wife. 
I do not wish ever to see you again, after 
shamefully abandoning me all these years. All I 
demand is that you suitably provide for my 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 331 


support, say fifty thousand pounds and I shall never 
trouble you again. This is a modest sum, I think, 
considering your enormous wealth/’ 

“You surely know me, Lady Streetfield? Do you 
not remember me at Streetfield Manor? You sure- 
ly remember me as having been present at your 
wedding?” interposed Mr. Silas Thompson, seeing 
that Reginald was still overcome and remained 
silent. 

“I know you, sir? I do not. I do not recall 
ever having seen you. I know my husband there. Sir 
Reginald Streetfield. Why does he not speak? 
What has he to say to me for so cruelly desert- 
ing me?” 

“I did not desert you, Veronica,” earnestly 
spoke up Sir Reginald, at length, recovering his 
equanimity and voice. “Surely you remember my 
regiment being ordered out to India on active serv- 
ice? You greatly wrong me when you accuse me of 
abandoning you.” 

“Had you not deserted me, sir, how comes it 
that I am in France at this present time, and you 
in America with a wife and child?” 

“It is unfortunately true that I have married 
again, Veronica. I have with me letters I re- 
ceived when on active service in India, telling me 
of your death. Here is one from the Rev. Dr. 
Sharpe, who married us. Read it before you 
judge me,” said Reginald, taking the letters out 
of his pocket. 

“You have letters, you say, telling you of my 
death? Please return them to your pocket, sir. I 
do not want to see them. A nice tale indeed to tell 
me after all these years,” replied Josephine sar- 
castically. 


332 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


‘'Cannot you believe me, Veronica? What can I 
do to convince you? You are cruelly mistaken,” 
replied Sir Reginald appealingly. 

“You ask me what you can do?” replied the sup- 
posed Veronica in a most emphatic manner. “I 
will tell you. Sir Reginald Streetfield. You can 
make over to me the fifty thousand pounds I de- 
mand for my support, and you may go your own 
way, and I will mine. We need never meet again.” 

“Do you not know me. Lady Streetfield? Can- 
not you remember seeing me at Streetfield Manor, 
at your wedding, and again at the funeral of your 
father-in-law. Sir William Streetfield, and did we 
not meet at the Oglesbys' where you were staying 
prior to your marriage?” interposed Silas Thomp- 
son again, seeing that Sir Reginald appeared over- 
come with the shame and the horror of the whole 
trend of the conversation with one he had almost 
worshipped as the embodiment of all that was di- 
vine in woman. 

“Do I know you. Monsieur?” asked Josephine 
tersely. “I do not, sir. I have never before seen 
you, not having lived in the ark.” 

Major Brosby, who had been standing by, an in- 
tensely interested spectator and listener in this re- 
markable scene and dialogue between the sup- 
posed Veronica and Sir Reginald, could not sup- 
press a smile at this sharp sally on the part of 
Josephine, notwithstanding the extreme gravity of 
the situation. 

“If money is all you want,” at length replied Sir 
Reginald Streetfield, almost bitterly, “you may be 
assured I will give you all you need, madame, but 
I will never admit deserting you. You must be ill 
or out of your mind madame, to make such a 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 333 


ridiculous and so horrible an accusation against me.** 

‘'Out of a husband, not out of my mind, Sir 
Reginald Streetfield. That is truly what I am out 
of. Out of a husband and out of money. You 
may just as well admit deserting me. Monsieur le 
Soldat. I insist, however, that you make some 
reparation,'^ said Josephine with great emphasis. 

‘'You shall have what you ask for, Madame, 
said Sir Reginald, severely. “I will have the neces- 
sary papers drawn up and you shall have your 
fifty thousand pounds.” 

“Now that you have agreed to make reparation, 
Sir Reginald Streetfield, please leave me, all three 
of you. I expect an early fulfillment of your 
agreement, sir, and I never want to see you again. 
I will leave your punishment to your own con- 
science. Good-day, gentlemen.” With this Jose- 
phine arose from her seat, and left the room. Even 
her carriage and her grace of movement were 
Veronica's. 

Streetfield gently drew his companions. Major 
Brosby and Mr. Silas Thompson out of the room, 
and made a quick exit into the street. 

To understand and appreciate the scen^ that had 
just taken place between Sir Reginald and his sup- 
posedly abandoned wife, calls for an explanation. 
On the bald narrative of the scene and dialogue it 
would appear as though partaking of the nature 
of an opera bouffe. But beneath the superficiali- 
ties of what was said in that interview, lay a most 
dangerous and consummately woven and villain- 
ous plot. 

To begin with, there was not the slightest de- 
sign or desire of fraud or deception on the part of 
Josephine. What she said she said sincerely and 


334 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


believingly. She was enacting a part without her 
own consciousness. That was all. To all intents 
and purposes she was Veronica and not Josephine 
and was speaking for Veronica, and what she said 
was truthfully and sincerely spoken as far as she 
herself was concerned. 

Monsieur Laudet had repeatedly placed Jose- 
phine under his hypnotic influence, and when in 
that state, he would impress upon her that she 
was not Josephine at all, but her sister Veronica, 
and that she was most shamefully abandoned by her 
husband, who was very wealthy, having succeeded to 
his father's estates and he had married again and 
that his wife had presented him with an heir, and 
that she herself was in dire poverty, and that she 
was to demand from him a large sum of money, not 
less than fifty thousand pounds, for her future com- 
fort. 

These seances were enacted over and over again, 
so that when Josephine was placed by him, in one 
of these trances, she would impersonate Veronica 
so naturally and effectively as to carry conviction 
to the most doubting. 

Having this explanation in mind, the meeting 
between Sir Reginald and his supposed wife does 
not appear so inconsistent with reason as one 
would at first be apt to conclude. 

The three friends were utterly dumfounded 
when they reached the street. Sir Reginald in- 
deed appeared crushed. To be branded as a wife 
deserter, and a bigamist! And over and above 
all this was the thought of Mary's terrible plight, 
and that of his infant son. He was as silent as 
the grave and as white as a sheet. The three 
friends drove a long way in deep silence. Finally 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 335 


Silas Thompson said in a serious tone, ‘‘She is cer- 
tainly Veronica. We cannot gainsay that, yet she 
strangely does not recall me, or you either. Major 
Brosby. Most of her conversation and remarks 
were addressed to Sir Reginald. There is a dis- 
tinct hiatus here. I confess I am nonplussed.’’ 

“It is as I surmised, Silas. It is a clear case of 
insanity, so often originating in just such a con- 
dition as Veronica passed through. That would 
account for the lapse and loss of memory and her 
utter distortion of facts. Did I not consider Ver- 
onica insane, I should feel infinitely wounded and 
humiliated, in fact, I consider her to be utterly 
insane. She is no more like the old Veronica, in 
disposition and character than darkness is to light. 
There has taken place in her mind a complete per- 
version of her whole nature.” 

“Cheer up, cheer up, old man,” said Major Bros- 
by heartily, slapping Reginald on the back. “It 
is hard luck, old man. It is the hardest I ever saw 
a man up against. Remember, old chap, it is al- 
ways darkest before dawn. We have all to take our 
medicine in this life, sweet or bitter.” 

“Thanks, good old Brosby. I am making the 
effort of my life. I will take my medicine, never 
fear, but good God, man ! Just think of Mary ! This 
is going to kill her.” 

“Sir Reginald, I want to say this. Appearances 
are decidedly against us. Nevertheless, I have an 
abiding faith that will not down, notwithstanding 
your arguments to the contrary that we are in a 
villainous, dangerous, and subtle plot, and that 
money is at the bottom of it,” said Silas Thomp- 
son earnestly. 

“Tut, tut. Uncle Silas. What is the use of de- 


336 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ceiving ourselves? You saw Veronica. So did the 
Major. We all saw Veronica. We cannot doubt 
that. I believe she is insane. You may be right, 
but I am convinced that I am right. The fact of 
the matter is, we may both be right. I believe we 
have there the germ of the whole solution. Ver- 
onica is insane, and somebody has been taking ad- 
vantage of her peculiar form of insanity to black- 
mail me, and I am appalled when I realize that I 
have married Mary MacKenneth, my first wife 
being alive. We cannot doubt our own senses, 
Silas, unless we, too, are insane, and are laboring 
under a delusion.” 

‘Tt is well sometimes even to doubt one’s own 
senses. Sir Reginald. There you are. Sir Reginald, 
the party of the first part, and Vejronica, your 
wife, the late Lady Streetfield, the party of the 
second part. You noticed, I said the late Lady 
Streetfield. I do not want to be misquoted later. 
Well, you, the party of the first part, are a soldier, 
and you are ordered to war, and while you are 
away, the party of the second part, that is Ver- 
onica, dies, then comes back after an absence of 
five years, the party of the first part, and he can 
not even find traces of the party of the second 
part. That is, Veronica. He marries again, and 
has a son. Now comes to life the party of the 
second part, and demands an immense sum of 
money, and moreover using as a go-between, the 
services of a consummate rascal. It is quite clear 
that money is the cause of the resurrection of the 
party of the second part, and where money is the 
object, and money alone, we must beware of 
fraud.” 

''Come, come. Uncle Silas. I know you mean 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 337 


well, and your legal reasonings and theories are 
all proper and necessary. A catastrophe confronts 
us, not a theory or a deduction in law.'' 

'‘Sir Reginald, you have asked me to assist you, 
and so, God helping me, I am going to see you 
safely through, come what may." 

"Good old Uncle Silas! You have always been 
a true friend to me. Unfortunate Veronica! She 
has not changed much in appearance, but she is 
insane, Silas. She is insane. What a really beau- 
tiful woman she is! And to think of our Mary, 
Uncle Silas. Good God! What a predicament for 
a man to be in. It were better that he were dead." 

"Reggie," for Silas called him thus when wish- 
ing to be very earnest and emphatic, "it is not 
right for you to talk in that strain. You have 
done nothing wrong. Nothing to be ashamed of. 
Just one of those contretemps^ as the French say, 
that will occur sometimes, in the lives of the best 
and truest of men. You know the old adage, 
'a virtuous man never fears what may happen.' 
Be strong in the conviction of the absolute recti- 
tude of your conduct. Mary will do just as you 
are now doing, should matters not clear up, and 
I know what that will be. She will grieve and sor- 
row more for you than for herself. You will 
need all your fortitude in this terrible predicament. 
I cannot help but feel that it will all blow over." 

"Do not hold out any elusive and absurd hopes. 
Uncle Silas. I may as well face the terrible situa- 
tion and not console and deceive myself by be- 
lieving that things may be what they really are 
not." 

The party agreed not to say anything more 
about the subject until evening, and arranged a 


338 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


meeting to be held in Major Brosby’s room for 
that night. In the meanwhile the subject was 
taboo. 

Major Brosby, by his constant flow of good hu- 
mor, witticisms and bon mots endeavored to keep 
the party in good spirits and succeeded so well un- 
der the circumstances, that if it were not for his 
cheerfulness Sir Reginald Streetfield would have 
been utterly distracted, for the seeming hopeless- 
ness of the situation appalled him. 

One precautionary measure that Sir Reginald 
had taken to save Mary from any apprehension, 
was to prepare her for silence on his part for 
some little time to come. He told her it would be 
very inconvenient for him to write for a few 
weeks, and that she would have to content her- 
self with hearing from her Uncle Silas, who would 
be in a better position to write. The matter he 
had in hand, he said, was of such supreme im- 
portance as to compel him to virtually neglect 
everything and everybody until he was through 
with it, and that on his return he would tell her 
all the details, and she would then fully under- 
stand why he did not write. 

After dinner a council of war was held in the 
Major's room. Sir Reginald, it was decided, was 
to write and suggest a delay of the settlement un- 
til he had communicated with his lawyers. In the 
meanwhile, at the suggestion of Major Brosby, a 
search was to be made for Monsieur Laudet. Ma- 
jor Brosby for the first time, to the great surprise 
of all present, related the adventure of George 
Wilcox and himself in the Chateaux d' Eaulant, 
and spoke in high terms of the courage and in- 
genuity of Phil Knox, Harry Brooks and par- 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 339 


ticularly of Will Burke. He told them of the vil- 
lainous treachery of Laudet. To this narrative 
Silas Thompson, Dr. Vernon, and Reginald listened 
with breathless interest. 

'‘Why did you not say something about this be- 
fore, Brosby,'' demanded Sir Reginald. ‘Tt has 
thrown a flood of light upon the situation.'’ 

"Well, Streetfield,” returned Major Brosby, "we 
had a tacit agreement not to say anything about 
it, but under the present circumstances I feel that 
I can with propriety tell the story.” 

Dr. Vernon then recounted his experiences with 
George Wilcox and Laudet, and this narrative 
proved interesting as well, and tended to show 
that there had been already a friendship estab- 
lished between George Wilcox and Laudet. And 
taking into consideration the fact that George, for 
some time past had not been receiving any funds 
from his father, and further, he had undertaken 
the nefarious part assigned to him, hence it was 
clear to all that Silas Thompson was right in re- 
ferring the whole transaction to a money making 
plot. 

The first step, they agreed, would be to go to 
the proper authorities and lay their case before 
them, and bring about the arrest of Monsieur Lau- 
det. And having procured a warrant for his ar- 
rest, they should endeavor to find him and through 
him, to learn the true story of Veronica’s sudden 
resurrection. 

Major Brosby and Silas Thompson derived some 
encouragement from the fact that Veronica had 
utterly failed to recognize either of them, and for 
the first time a suspicion began to dawn upon 
them that perhaps after all it was a case of Ver- 


340 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


onica having a double. But this Sir Reginald 
would not admit. He was certain that he could 
not possibly be mistaken in his recognition of his 
wife, and attributed her failure to recognize Ma- 
jor Brosby and Silas Thompson to a phase of her 
insanity. He was more positive than ever that 
Veronica was insane, and had been so since the 
birth of her child, and advantage of that circum- 
stance had been taken by some unscrupulous 
scoundrels who were trying to make capital out 
of her misfortune. But he fully agreed with his 
friends that Laudet was the master-mind behind 
the whole scheme. Even, he argued with his com- 
panions, should it be proved that the blackmailing 
scheme had been hatched and carried out by 
George Wilcox, Monsieur Laudet and Veronica, 
that in itself would not help his position in any 
way in regard to his relationship to Mary and the 
birth of his child. Financially he would be res- 
cued, he said, from the payment of a large sum of 
money, but that did not concern him in the least. 
The payment of fifty thousand pounds would not 
embarrass him, but to him the whole problem 
still seemed insoluble. 

The next matter they agreed upon was to trace 
Veronica to her own home. The addresses that 
were given were only temporary expedients de- 
vised by Laudet in carrying out his scheme. 

It was also agreed that Will Burke, Harry 
Brooks, and Phi] Knox should engage in a search 
for Laudet, and so also would Dr. Vernon, who 
knew well his favorite haunts. It was further de- 
cided that they should secure the services of the 
cleverest detectives in Paris. 

Having carefully arranged their plan of cam- 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 341 


paign, the party broke up for the night. Early 
next day these plans were put into execution. Cap- 
tain Brosby and Sir Reginald appealed to the 
American and British legations, and through them 
to the proper authorities to bring about the arrest 
of Laudet on a charge of attempt to blackmail, and 
detectives were employed to trace Monsieur Lau- 
det and Veronica. The first of these matters 
proved to be the most difficult. The charges 
against Laudet were too vague and too supposi- 
titious. The authorities demanded something spe- 
cific and less vague. At this juncture Will Burke 
came to the rescue. In passing through one of the 
places, in which he was aware, from his former 
experiences, Laudet might be found, he came 
across Monsieur Henry Rochecauld. The self-same 
Henry Rochecauld that they had bound and gagged 
at the Chateaux d'Eaulant. He was sitting at a 
table with two others, and partaking of a bottle 
of wine. Will Burke took a seat near by, and or- 
dered a bottle for himself. 

In a few minutes, not longer than was neces- 
sary for his quick brain to form a plan of action, 
he went over to the table, where sat the three gen- 
tlemen, and in the most polite manner asked 
whether any of those present could tell him where 
he could find Monsieur Henry Rochecauld, a barris- 
ter he had known, he said, years ago, for he had 
some legal matters he needed to attend to, and he 
knew no other he liked as well as Monsieur Roche- 
cauld. He would like very much to know where 
he could find this lawyer. Moreover, he said that 
he had not seen him for many years, and he was 
sure he would not be able to recognize him did he 
meet him, nor did he think that Monsieur Roche- 
cauld would know him again. 


342 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


The directness of his appeal seemed to satisfy 
Monsieur Rochecauld that Will Burke was acting 
in good faith. He arose and greeted him and in- 
troduced himself as Monsieur Henry Rochecauld, 
avocat. He introduced Burke to his companions. 
Will Burke apologized for disturbing their conver- 
sation and begged of them to share a bottle of the 
best wine that the place afforded. 

The invitation being graciously accepted, Mr. 
Burke informed the party that he had returned 
from India, had since been over to the United 
States, and that he had some important financial 
matters to arrange, and perhaps Monsieur Roche- 
cauld could assist him in this, and so would he 
please give him a few moments of his time, and if 
the good gentleman would be so kind as to drink 
another bottle of wine of such excellent vintage, 
he would ask Monsieur Rochecauld with their kind 
permission to another table, where he could in a 
few minutes state his business. All of which were 
readily agreed to. Will Burke lost no time in tell- 
ing Monsieur Rochecauld that he wanted to meet 
Laudet. He said he was well known to him in days 
gone by, and had had many a game of cards with 
him, and that he considered Monsieur Laudet 
possessed such a bright and jovial nature, it was 
indeed a pleasure to play a game with him, and 
that, in regard to his business, it was in connec- 
tion with some mining properties in the United 
States, in which he had become heavily interested, 
but in regard to this he would later inform him; 
but he would like, in the meantime, to while away 
a few hours at play that night. He had a few 
thousand francs, he said, he could well afford to 
lose. 


PURPLE COVERING O FDEATH 343 


All this Will Burke said in so plausible a man- 
ner, that Monsieur Henry Rochecauld promised to 
meet him at a certain gaming house where he was 
sure, he said, they would find Laudet. Having ar- 
ranged this satisfactorily to himself, and bidding 
his recent acquaintances good-bye, Burke hastened 
to the hotel to inform Sir Reginald of his success. 

It must be understood that a great change had 
taken place in Bill Burke from those days when he 
was a humble porter at the hotel. Since then he 
had had nearly six years of military discipline, his 
experiences in the Afridis War, and his necessarily 
close association with such bright minds as those 
of the scientists attached to the mission to Tibet 
had enabled him to inform himself on a great 
many matters, and being a man of much natural 
intelligence and alertness of mind, he had stored 
up a surprisingly large amount of most valuable 
information ; and besides, since he had been deco- 
rated with the Victoria Cross, he had become am- 
bitious to acquire all the knowledge he possibly 
could, to prove himself worthy of so great an 
honor. He had therefore assiduously applied him- 
self to study, and he had read many of the works 
of the more famous authors; and on the whole, 
could pass for a fairly well educated man. His 
personal appearance had also undergone a wonder- 
ful transformation. He carried himself like a 
gentleman, and he certainly acted and dressed like 
one. The changes in Phil Knox and Harry Brooks 
were striking too, but to a less degree. 

Sir Reginald tendered to Will Burke all the 
funds he needed to carry out his plans in tracing 
Monsieur Laudet. The detectives had reported 
that they were unable to locate him. He was 


344 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


doubtless, they said, keeping well under cover, 
while putting through his schemes. That evening 
Bill Burke met Henry Rochecauld at the appointed 
hour and place. To his great surprise, who should 
he find there in company with Laudet, but Colonel 
Vernaid, one of the three French officers of the 
Chateau d'Eaulant adventure. Monsieur Roche- 
cauld introduced Mr. William Burke, from India 
and the United States, to Laudet, and Colonel Ver- 
naid of the African chasseurs. 

It was very improbable that either Laudet or 
Colonel Vernaid would have recognized, in this 
smart and up-to-date gentleman, the hotel porter 
of the Chateau d’Eaulant escapade. Will Burke 
felt quite secure on his part. They played a long 
game, and stakes were fairly heavy. Will Burke, 
being plentifully supplied with money by Sir Regi- 
nald, lost heavily during the night, some five 
thousand francs. This was all done according to 
the agreements with Sir Reginald. 

The game over, William Burke fraternized with 
Colonel Vernaid, and, as we remarked in the earlier 
chapter, he spoke French fluently, he was able to 
so ingratiate himself with the colonel of the Afri- 
can Chasseurs, that he was invited by that gallant 
officer to lunch next day at his hotel, which invi- 
tation Burke readily accepted. The next day at 
the appointed hour, Bill Burke and Major Brosby 
prepared to meet the Colonel at lunch. 

The Colonel instantly recognized Major Brosby, 
and was apparently delighted to meet him again. 

Burke, having excused himself on some pretext 
asked Colonel Vernaid to kindly accept Major 
Brosby as a substitute for himself at lunch, to 
which the Colonel graciously assented, and he left 
the two men to themselves. Colonel Vernaid had 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 345 


been away for years in Africa, and had met Lau- 
det shortly after his recent return to Paris at one 
of the fashionable gaming houses, and Laudet had 
explained away his part in that Chateau d' Eaulant 
affair, as being a most meritorious one; and so 
plausible was his story, that he had accepted it 
and fully believed it. 

Major Brosby and the Colonel exchanged many 
stories, Brosby of adventures in India, and Col- 
onel Vemaid of adventures in Africa. Major Bros- 
by spoke French well, and the Colonel was by no 
means an indifferent English scholar. He spoke 
English correctly, as, he explained to the major, 
his mother was an English lady, and he had passed 
all his early life in his mother's country. Major 
Brosby was not long in divining that his fellow 
military companion was a man of broad and gen- 
erous sympathies, and with a high sense of honor 
and justice, so he decided to take the Colonel into 
his confidence, and he related to him all the inci- 
dents that had taken place in the life of their 
fellow military officer. Captain Streetfield. 

Colonel Vernaid was so much impressed with 
the story that he volunteered his aid in clearing 
up the mystery. ^'Monsieur Laudet, I am now con- 
vinced,” he said, ‘‘is a most consummate scoundrel, 
and he will doubtless cover up his tracks; and 
Major Brosby,” he added, “it will take us all our 
time, energy and acumen to trap him.” 

Colonel Vernaid suggested that they act in con- 
cert with the department of justice, for he was of 
the opinion that there must be some charge hang- 
ing over Laudet that would give them a plausible 
excuse to have him arrested. “It is not to be sup- 
posed,” he opined, “that a man who had for so 
long led the life that Laudet had, could have 


346 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


avoided committing some act which would bring 
him within the range of the police,” and suggested 
that they work with the police prefect and have 
him look up the records at the police archives, 
and report next day to him, and he volunteered 
to undertake that part of the investigation. 

It was three days before the Colonel was seen 
again. He called upon the major, and was intro- 
duced to Sir Reginald, and the rest of the party, 
and glad he was to inform them that he, after 
infinite pains, had unearthed something they could 
hold against Monsieur Laudet. 

The Colonel, being a French officer of high mili- 
tary rank and position, was able to bring a good 
deal of pressure to bear upon the department of 
justice, and he was able to report that they at 
length discovered that a certain Monsieur Dubois 
while in Vienna, a few years ago, mulcted a scion 
of the house of Hapsburg out of an immense sum 
of money, and had decamped, probably to England, 
and no trace was ever found of him, although they 
had a fairly accurate description of the swindler. 
On further investigation, and by the interchange 
of many and lengthy telegrams the department of 
justice in Paris was able to obtain a good de- 
scription of Monsieur Dubois, and this description 
tallied, in every particular, with that of Monsieur 
Laudet. Upon this information. Sir Reginald was 
able to lay his complaint before the department of 
justice, and succeeded in having a warrant issued 
for the arrest of Monsieur Dubois, who was no 
other than Laudet, and having acquired that, they 
were now able to work with the gendarmes pro- 
vided by that department. 

The matter was simmering down to a definite 
point. Once Laudet arrested, and Josephine traced. 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 347 


which latter had as yet not been done, as the ad- 
dresses given hitherto were temporary ones, used 
by the astute Laudet for the occasion, a solution 
of the mystery was near. 

The police inspector promised to have the gen- 
darmes ready to hand, and suggested that when 
the arrest was made, that Sir Reginald and his 
party should be at hand to interrogate Laudet, es- 
pecially as he was likely to stubbornly resist ar- 
rest, and would perhaps be fatally wounded in the 
attempt. 

The arrangement was that Colonel Vemaid have 
an appointment with Laudet at a certain fashion- 
able but notorious gaming house; and the gen- 
darmes gain admission into the place through him. 
Sir Reginald Streetfield and Mr. Silas Thompson 
who would not be denied. Major Brosby, Dr. Ver- 
non, and our three musketeers, Will Burke, Harry 
Brooks and Phil Knox, were to accompany the 
gendarmes. The whole plan of arrest was set for 
the next evening. Colonel Vernaid having in the 
meantime made the appointment with Monsieur 
Laudet. 

This fashionable gaming house was situated in 
one of the most select and secluded streets of 
Paris. There was nothing to indicate, from the 
external appearance of the building that it har- 
bored many of the most notorious gamesters in 
that city, it was just a pretentious looking man- 
sion, like many others in the same street. Col- 
onel Vernaid had agreed upon a plan of procedure 
with the gendarmes. He was to excuse himself 
at the hour of midnight on the plea of having 
some important duty early next morning. He was 
then to leave the club, and linger for a moment at 
the door to light a cigar. This was to be the sig- 


348 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


nal for the gendarmes to rush in, gag and over- 
power the door keeper. They were then to be 
guided by the colonel to the room where Laudet 
was to be found. 

When Colonel Vemaid arrived at this mansion, 
he gave the agreed signal, three long rings, fol- 
lowed by a short one. The door was very cautiously 
opened by a veritable giant in livery, who asked 
his name, and received the password for the eve- 
ning, every matter being conducted in the most 
cautious manner. The door keeper being satisfied 
as to the eligibility of the Colonel, allowed him to 
pass into the hall. The Colonel guided by the mod- 
ern Hercules, passed by two doors, and halted at 
the third on their right. Here his guide gave 
three gentle raps, followed by a loud one. This 
door was opened by another powerfully built man, 
as formidable looking as the first, also in livery. 
This door led into a long corridor, heavily carpeted, 
the walls of which were hung with pictures in 
heavy gold frames. Chandeliers, suspended from 
the roof along the whole length of the hall, bril- 
liantly lighted up the corridor and accorded one 
an opportunity to inspect the beautiful paintings 
on the walls as one passed down. To the walls 
themselves, which were covered with heavy em- 
bossed paper of the most exquisite pattern, were 
attached brass brackets holding lights of various 
colors, giving the corridor a most entrancing, 
though perhaps, a slightly weird appearance. 

The second man in livery beckoned the Colonel 
to follow him, and after he had traversed half the 
length of the corridor, he stood before a picture of 
the Great Napoleon. To the side of this picture, 
but hidden by its massive frame, the attendant 
found a button. This he pressed. The picture of 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 349 


Napoleon slowly turned outward. It was in fact a 
false or dummy door. This led into another hall, 
about ten feet wide and twenty long. This hall 
was an epitome of the lengthy corridor through 
which the Colonel had recently passed. It was 
likewise heavily carpeted, and its walls hung with 
pictures, and lighted in the same manner; but in 
addition, it contained several heavy chairs up- 
holstered in purple plush, set here and there. Lead- 
ing from the center of this hall, were folding 
doors. On opening these doors, which responded to 
the slightest touch, a great flood of light burst upon 
the Colonel. 

He saw before him a large square room, furn- 
ished in heavy purple plush, and brilliantly lighted 
by immense chandeliers, and here and there were 
set small marble tables surrounded with chairs, 
most of them being occupied. At one of these 
tables sat Monsieur Alphonso Laudet, looking as 
debonair and immaculate as ever. As Colonel Ver- 
naid entered, he caught sight of Laudet and made 
his way between the scattered tables towards him. 
At LaudePs table there were four others besides 
himself, evidently anticipating the advent of the 
Colonel, to make the sixth. 

Laudet, taking out his watch, and looking at it, 
said, as Colonel Vernaid approached, “Punctual to 
the minute. Colonel.” 

“This is a part of a soldier’s discipline,” replied 
the Colonel. “I am sorry however, I shall not be 
able to play after twelve o’clock. Monsieur Laudet. 
I have some important matters to attend to; but 
that will give us a good two hours and a half for 
our game. It is just nine-thirty.” 

“This is a disappointment. Colonel. We antici- 
pated an all-night session, but I am aware that 


350 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the exigencies of military service are such that a 
soldier's time can never be counted upon. Let us 
make good use of the time we have, however." 

The introductions over, Colonel Vernaid seated 
himself at the table, and in a few minutes they 
were all deeply engrossed in their game. It had 
been agreed that Colonel Vernaid was to lose heav- 
ily, Sir Reginald Streetfield having supplied all 
necessary funds, so there would be less demur 
when he relinquished the game. 

‘‘My play is wretched," exclaimed the Colonel. 
“Luck is against me." And he began to lose 
heavily. By midnight he had lost twenty thousand 
francs. 

As the Colonel arose to go, Laudet said, in his 
inimitably seductive way, “Too bad you have to 
leave the loser. Colonel. Sorry you are not able 
to stay and try again. You may perhaps later suc- 
cessfully woo fortune. See you tomorrow?" 

“If nothing prevents, I will see you tomorrow. 
Monsieur Laudet," replied Colonel Vernaid. With 
that he bade his companions good night and left. 

He was shown out with the same punctilious 
care with which he was shown in. In the mean- 
while at the hour agreed upon, three vehicles 
slowly wending their way could be seen approach- 
ing the mansion described, and just as the hour 
struck twelve, they had arrived opposite the door. 
The vehicles halted and the driver of the first one 
alighted and was apparently engaged in making 
some repairs as though something had gone wrong 
with the harness. 

At this moment the massive door of the man- 
sion opened, and Colonel Vernaid was seen at the 
threshold, lighting a cigar with deliberation. The 
driver of the vehicle approached the Colonel and 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 351 


politely asked him for a match, saying that some- 
thing had gone wrong with the harness. This 
was a gendarme in disguise. While he was asking 
for a match, a voice from one of the carriages 
wanted to know what the delay was. 

''Just a moment. Monsieur. I have broken a 
piece of the harness. I shall have it mended in 
a minute.’^ 

The cab door then opened, and a man alighted. 

"You must hurry up,'" he said as he approached 
the driver. "We are late already, and we have 
still two miles to make.'’ 

"I will make up the time. Will Monsieur please 
be seated in the cab again?” respectfully rejoined 
the driver. 

"Have you the time, sir?” asked the second man, 
approaching the Colonel. 

In the mean while the giant doorkeeper evinced 
impatience to get the Colonel away in order to 
shut the door. No sooner had the second man 
come up, when he suddenly turned and grasped the 
giant by the throat, while his companion, the sup- 
posed driver, bore him down; and in a moment 
several gendarmes, jumping out of the cabs, as- 
sisted their comrade in keeping the giant pinned 
down, which they apparently found difficult, for 
even the Colonel had to come to their assistance. 
However, the doorkeeper was eventually over- 
powered, gagged and bound, but not before he had 
struck some heavy blows, not much to the relish 
of the gendarmes. When the cabs were emptied, 
there were eight gendarmes to be counted, and 
these with Reginald, Colonel Vemaid, Silas Thomp- 
son, Major Brosby, Dr. Vernon, and our three 
musketeers, brought the number to sixteen. 

Two gendarmes were left at the outside door on 


352 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


guard and to see that the doorkeeper did not free 
himself. Colonel Vemaid led the other thirteen 
through the corridor into the second ante-room, 
binding the second footman in like manner to the 
first. This was all done so dexterously that there 
was but little noise made, as the first precaution 
taken was to smother the victim's face with a large 
towel to prevent him shouting and calling for help, 
or from giving an alarm or a warning to the habi 
tues in the main room. 

The party then passed through the folding doors 
and entered the main room quietly and as unosten- 
tatiously as fourteen men could. There was in- 
stantly considerable commotion among the players, 
and lookers-on. Vernaid, without any hesitation, 
led his party to the table where just a few mo- 
ments ago he had left Laudet and his com- 
panions. 

When Laudet saw Colonel Vernaid approaching 
his table with the gendarmes and the others as 
though they purposed surrounding it, he im- 
mediately divined that he was the one that they 
were in quest of. He tried to make a speedy es- 
cape through a side door, but was intercepted by 
Will Burke, who had closely watched his every 
move since entering the room. Monsieur Laudet 
quickly crossed over to the further side of the 
room and drawing a revolver, he threatened to 
shoot anybody who approached him or laid a hand 
on him. 

This threat did not apparently deter the gen- 
darmes, for they crowded upon him until Laudet 
loudly shouted, ‘‘Stop, or I will fire!" 

The gendarmes hesitated for a moment, while 
Laudet coolly looked over the faces of those in 
front of him, and recognizing for the first time 


PURPLE COVERING O FDEATH 353 


Dr. Vernon, he said, excitedly, “Oh, you are here, 
are j^ou Dr. Vernon?’’ and quickly thrusting his 
unoccupied hand into the bosom of his coat, he 
rapidly withdrev/ a large envelope, and throwing it 
directly at Dr. Vernon, said hurriedly and in Eng- 
lish: 

“Here, Vernon, take this, and give it to my wife. 
It is for her. She lives at 682 Rue de Richelieu, 
Do not let her know how I died. I am not going 
to be taken alive. Keep out of the range of my 
gun when I fire.” 

The envelope fell at Dr. Vernon’s feet, and he 
stopped to pick it up; but before he straightened 
himself, he heard several shots in rapid succes- 
sion. The gendarmes thinking that they saw an 
opportunity of catching Laudet off his guard as 
he threw the envelope to Dr. Vernon, dashed to- 
wards him, but Laudet, true to his word, fired 
point blank at them. 

One gendarme was shot through the right shoul- 
der, another received a flesh wound in the muscles 
of the breast, and a third, less fortunate, received 
a bullet in his jaw. The gendarmes now in- 
furiate, poured in a fusillade of bullets. 

Laudet fell, mortally wounded. He was shot 
through the neck, breast, both arms, and one shot 
penetrated his abdomen. 

“Vernon, Vernon, quick, quick,” he called out 
loudly, as the blood streamed from his mouth. 

The doctor sprang to his side. 

“Promise me to give that package to my wife, 
my Josephine? She has been — a true and noble — 
wife to me, — Vernon. — Bid her — good-bye — for me 
— Vernon. — Good-bye — and — may God — forgive — 
me.” This he said in gasps, interrupted repeatedly 
by the welling up into his mouth of blood from 


4 


354 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the wound in his neck. Being said in English, of 
course, it was unintelligible to the gendarmes and 
others, excepting those of our party. 

The confusion and excitement following the 
tragic event was of course very great, and many 
of the inmates of the place hastily retired from the 
room. 

“He is dead,'' said Dr. Vernon to the gendarmes. 

“Let me see that envelope. Dr. Vernon," asked 
Colonel Vernaid. “I see it is addressed to Madame 
Josephine Laudet, ^^2 Rue de Richelieu. Perhaps 
we had better repair there after the gendarmes have 
arranged for the removal of the body." 

“Fortunately not one of the gendarmes is fatally 
hurt. It pretty nearly came to being a shambles," 
said Dr. Vernon, as he busily applied himself to 
giving first aid to the wounded men, after which 
he ordered them to be taken to a hospital for fur. 
ther attention. This left him free to proceed, with 
his companions, to the address given on the en- 
velope entrusted to his care. 

“It will be as well to let the gendarmes know 
what is in the package," spoke up Colonel Vernaid. 
Dr. Vernon handed the package to the Colonel, 
who passed it on to one of the gendarmes ap- 
parently in authority, who tore open the packet, 
and found therein a paper upon which was writ- 
ten, “This is m.y last letter to my beloved Jose- 
phine. You will find, my dear wife, one hundred 
thousand francs deposited to your credit in the 
bank of France. It belongs to you. It is all that 
is left of your father's estate. The money is yours, 
and nobody can deprive you of it. When you re- 
ceive this, I shall in all probability be dead. Do 
not make any inquiries. Farewell my adorable Jose 
phine. Your loving husband, Alphonso Laudet." 


PURPLE COVERING OF DEATH 355 


“This is a personal letter to his wife. Nothing 
in it to interest us. You can keep your promise 
to Laudet, Monsieur le docteur and deliver this 
letter in person to her. There is one stipulation I 
must demand, simply as a matter of form, and 
that is that Monsieur Colonel Vernaid will be so 
good as to vouch for this letter being given to 
Madame Laudet. The Colonel is a French officer 
of high rank, and will give me his support should 
any questions arise later in regard to this epistle 
and letter of credit.’' 

So our party then hastened out of the room, 
after having searched the body of Laudet, with 
the permission of the gendarme, for any further 
memoranda which might help them towards solv- 
ing the mystery, but found nothing however. 

Will Burke thoughtfully threw a purple mantle, 
which he secured from one of the couches, over the 
body of Laudet to hide the gruesome spectacle. 

Thus died Monsieur Alphonso Laudet, a man 
most remarkable in his way. He had one redeem- 
ing virtue, for which he should be justly accredit- 
ed, and that was the affection he bore his wife. He 
loved her in his own way. Although he had ac- 
quired a strong hypnotic influence over her, it had 
not been used excepting on one occasion for any 
ulterior purpose, and that was in this last plot 
which had ended so tragically and disastrously to 
him. 

To do Josephine justice, she was absolutely un- 
conscious of all that had transpired during those 
hours Laudet kept her under his hypnotic spell. All 
she experienced was a sense of weariness and las- 
situde. The influence he exerted over her was 
exercised so insiduously that she never even sus- 
pected that anything unusual had occurred to her. 


356 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


At times she realized that there was something 
about herself that she could not quite comprehend, 
and a feeling of dreaminess and unreality would 
come over her which she found difficult to shake 
off. 

Beyond this she was conscious of nothing. She 
was ever an active worker and took an absorbing 
interest in her household duties, and was sedulous 
in all that pertained to the care and well being of 
Laudet, for whom she bore a genuine affection. 
And he, as far as his habits and his nature would 
permit, was always solicitous of her comfort and 
her welfare. For years he had guarded these hun- 
dred thousand francs, and though at times he was 
in great straits for money he was never tempted 
to use it. He considered these hundred thousand 
francs the remnant of the fortune Josephine had 
brought him after the death of her parents, be- 
longed entirely to her and he resolved, come what 
may, he would keep them for her, for he felt an in- 
ner consciousness that at some time something 
dreadful must inevitably happen to himself. 


CHAPTER XIV 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM REVEALED 

Josephine, like her sister Veronica, was inordi- 
nately fond of music; and, like her, devoted much 
time to it. She had but a few friends, and practi- 
cally devoted her whole life to the well being and 
comfort of Monsieur Laudet. The death of her 
father so soon followed by Veronica's death, and 
later by the death of her mother, deeply affected 
her otherwise happy disposition. She often 
thought of her sister's husband, but dared not mem* 
tion him, for Monsieur Laudet had sternly for- 
bidden her ever to mention his name, for reasons 
already stated. 

On this particular night, the night of her hus- 
band's death, she had been sitting up doing some 
fancy crochet work, at which she was singularly 
skillful. About midnight, without apparently any 
premonitory warnings, she passed into a state of 
semi-consciousness. While in this state she imag- 
ined she saw her husband lying stretched upon the 
floor of a large room, covered over with a purple 
mantle, that he was dead, and that she herself was 
greatly distressed. She was conscious of making 
several ineffectual attempts to recover herself. She 
remained in this semi-conscious condition for sev- 
eral hours. As daylight dawned, and her faithful 
maid Matilda was about to busy herself with her 
duties, a loud knocking was heard at the door. 

Josephine was conscious of the knock, but was 
unable in any way to arouse herself. The maid, 
upon opening the door, was surprised to find a cab 
standing there with several men in it, and a gen- 


358 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


tleman standing at the door, apparently the one 
who had knocked. 

On interrogating the stranger as to his mission, 
she was asked if it were possible, at this early hour 
to see Madame Laudet on a very important mat- 
ter. The girl offered to go upstairs and find out. 

‘T will wait here until you return,’^ said Dr. Ver- 
non, for it was he. The girl, finding that her mis- 
tress was not in bed and it was evident that the 
bed had not been lain upon, instituted a search 
and was horrified to find her mistress still un- 
dressed and lying unconscious on the floor. Greatly 
alarmed she ran downstairs and related the circum- 
stances to the gentleman at the door. Dr. Vernon 
immediately offered his assistance, informing the 
girl that he was a doctor, and hastily explaining 
the situation to his companions he followed her up- 
stairs. 

Here he found conditions as the maid had repre- 
sented. He diagnosed her condition as one of 
coma, and advised her being removed to a suitable 
nursing home or hospital. He assisted the maid in 
getting Josephine properly placed in bed, and went 
downstairs to consult his companions. 

He finally came to the conclusion that it, per- 
haps, would be better if Josephine stayed where 
she was and a suitable nurse be procured for her, 
and that a Parisian physician be summoned to 
look after her. Matilda, the maid, who appeared 
to be unusually level-headed and intelligent, gave 
Dr. Vernon much useful information as to the phy- 
sicians Madame was in the habit of consulting 
when she was in ill-health. 

A physician and a nurse having been secured for 
Madame Laudet, Dr. Vernon repaired to his hotel. 


PHYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 


359 


whither his companions had preceded hiih. Sir 
Reginald, as may be expected, was much disturbed 
by this new turn of affairs. He still believed 
Josephine to be Veronica, although he had indubi- 
table proof that Monsieur Alphonso Laudet had 
claimed her as his wife. He talked the matter 
over earnestly with Dr. Vernon. “What,"’ he asked, 
‘‘if Madame Laudet should die?'' There would in 
that case be little or no proof to substantiate her 
identity. “What if Silas Thompson and Major Bros- 
by should be right in their contention?" He said 
that Veronica had a double. This he did not for a 
moment consider at all possible. On the other 
hand, if it could be proved that Madame Laudet 
was that double, the whole solution of the mystery 
was achieved. But should she die unconscious, 
and nothing proved, then there was nothing left 
for him to do but re-marry Mary. In the event of 
Madame Laudet's complete recovery, and should 
his belief that she was really Veronica be verified, 
he could readily, under the circumstances, obtain a 
divorce from her, and then re-marry Mary. “But 
supposing," said Sir Reginald to Dr. Vernon, 
“should she recover, but with impaired mental 
faculties, that is to say, should she prove to be in- 
sane, in that case my predicament would be great. 
I should be able, no doubt, even then, to obtain a 
divorce, and re-marry Mary. But all this would 
entail much publicity." And from this he shrank. 

As for Silas Thompson, he was in high glee. He 
was more positive than ever that this great mys- 
tery was on the point of being cleared up, and 
that his contention that Veronica had a double 
would be confirmed; but for the life of him he 
could not get Sir Reginald or any of the others. 


360 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


for that matter, except perhaps Major Brosby, to 
accept this view of it. 

There was nothing to do but to await the return 
of Madame Laudet's consciousness and her re- 
covery. Sir Reginald argued, and even Silas Thomp- 
son and Major Brosby had to admit the soundness 
of his argument, that if Madam Laudet died with 
out recovering consciousness, or would remain per- 
manently insane, it would leave matters much as 
they were. Dr. Vernon assured him, however, that 
he did not think that this would be the outcome of 
the case, and his opinion, he said, was supported 
by the Parisian specialist who was attending Ma- 
dame Laudet. There was nothing to do but to 
possess their souls in patience. 

" As regards Monsieur Alphonso Laudet, Sir Regi- 
nald Streetfield, with his usual generosity and 
kindly thoughtfulness, undertook to have his body 
properly cared for and interred. Should Madame 
Laudet be really Veronica, then there was no doubt 
that she had been the wife of Laudet for some 
time; or if not his wife, she had been openly re- 
garded as such, and this was particularly proven 
after the last handsome and devoted action on the 
part of Laudet in sending her that letter by Dr. 
Vernon. All these circumstances prompted Sir 
Reginald and appealed to his generous nature to 
undertake the supervision of LaudePs interment. 

Within a week from the day of her attack, Jose- 
phine regained consciousness, and almost the first 
words she spoke, were: 

‘T cannot tell what it is, nurse, I feel so differ- 
ently from what I did. I feel more as I used to 
in those days when Veronica and I were always to- 
gether, before I met Monsieur Laudet. I feel that 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 361 


I have come out of a long protracted dream, and 
as if scales had dropped from my eyes. I cannot 
imagine what has happened. I am conscious of be- 
ing transformed into another being, and entirely 
altered from what I was before I took ill. I can- 
not account for it.” 

“Madame is feeling stronger and better. That 
is why Madame says she feels transformed,” re- 
plied the nurse. 

“It is something here in my head, nurse. My 
mind I know has cleared. Those dreamy and hazy 
feelings that used to come over me for years have 
passed away. I am more myself, more like Jose- 
phine Dieulafoi that used to be. What is it nurse? 
You can surely tell me.” Thus Josephine and her 
nurse would enter upon a controversy as to what 
was the cause of this renewed feeling of mental 
vigor that had come over her. Josephine remarked 
one day, “It is like an evil influence that has passed 
out of my life.” 

“Perhaps something has happened to Monsieur 
Laudet,” ventured the nurse. 

“Do not say that, do not say that. Anything but 
that, nurse. He was always good and kind to me. 
True he would leave me alone a great deal, then 
again he would stay with me for a long time. Has 
Monsieur Laudet been here since I have been ill?” 
asked Josephine. 

“No, Madame,” responded the nurse. 

“He must be away, for if he knew I was so ill 
he would not leave my bedside. You must not 
think too harshly of Monsieur Laudet, nurse. I 
don't purpose to chide you however, I feel so pe- 
culiarly happy and joyous tonight. I feel as if I 
were a bird that has been given its freedom.” 

“Madame must please go to sleep, now. Madame 


362 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


has spoken altogether too much,” and Josephine 
would then compose herself. 

In a few days the Parisian physician intimated 
to Dr. Vernon that he was now at liberty to give 
Madame Laudet her husband^s letter, and also the 
news of his death, which was to be attributed by 
Dr. Vernon to some unfortunate circumstances. It 
was agreed that Dr. Vernon should interrogate 
Madame as to why she had assumed the name of 
Veronica Streetfield, while her real name was Jose- 
phine Laudet. As Dr. Vernon had frequently vis- 
ited Josephine with her Parisian medical attend- 
ant, Madame Laudet did not think it anything out 
of the way when he called upon her one morning, 
shortly before noon. After making the usual in- 
quiries as to her progress, he intimated to the 
nurse that he had something of a private nature 
to say to Madam.e Laudet. And when alone with 
her, Dr. Vernon said: 

'T have some bad news for you, Madame Laudet.” 

“What is it. Dr. Vernon? It has something to do 
with my husband, I am sure,” exclaimed Madame 
Laudet anxiously. 

“You have guessed rightly, Madame. I have sad 
news in regard to him,” replied the doctor gently. 

“He is dead! Dr. Vernon! He is dead! I know it! 
I feel it! I remember distinctly now, seeing him 
that night, the night I took ill, lying on the floor 
dead, and covered with a purple mantle, in a large 
room where everything seemed to be purple, even 
the lights. Oh, my poor Alphonso! So good and 
kind to me!” said Josephine, crying softly. 

“You are right, Madame. Monsieur Laudet was 
killed in a misadventure the night you took ill.” 

“Oh, Alphonso! Alphonso, my husband!” she 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 363 


cried, and after a few moments she quietly asked, 
“And where have they buried him?” 

“Sir Reginald Streetfield saw to that, he arranged 
Monsieur LaudePs funeral,” replied Dr. Vernon. 

“Sir Reginald Streetfield? Veronica’s husband? 
Is he here? Here in Paris? Oh, my poor sister!” 
said Josephine in a greatly surprised and grief- 
stricken manner, and she burst into tears again. 

We can well imagine Dr. Vernon’s surprise. To 
him it was a case of confusion worse confounded; 
and he said in a little while, when he saw that 
Josephine had calmed down, and was more com- 
posed : 

“You surely do know that Sir Reginald is here, 
Madame Laudet?” he gently asked her. 

“I do not know. Dr. Vernon. How could I hap- 
pen to know?” replied Josephine still in a surprised 
voice. 

The doctor at this juncture felt that he would 
have to be very careful and discreet and not say 
anything that might bring about a recrudescence 
of Josephine’s mental condition, so he cautiously 
asked : 

“You of course know Sir Reginald Streetfield, 
Madame Laudet? You have seen him, have you 
not?” 

“No, I have never seen him. Dr. Vernon, al- 
though I would know him from his photographs. 
Veronica had several of her husband’s photographs 
with her When she died, and I have kept them all,” 
replied Josephine. 

“Did Veronica die, Madame?” asked the doctor 
very gently, intensely interested. 

“Yes, Dr. Vernon. Dear Veronica died just a 
few days after our father. If you listen, I will 
tell you the whole sad story.” With that Josep- 


364 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


phine went over the story of her fathers death, 
his wish to be buried in France, the bringing over 
of his body by Madame Dieulafoi, Veronica, Mon- 
sieur Laudet and herself, Veronica's accident while 
crossing the channel, and her subsequent death, 
and her burial by her father's side, followed in 
about two years by her mother's death, all of 
which she related in becoming simplicity and ear- 
nest sincerity, although she paused frequently to 
wipe away her tears, and to regain her composure. 
After this recital, to which Dr. Vernon listened 
with astonishment and absorbing interest and 
tactful attention, he said to her: 

‘'How did it come about, Madame Laudet, that 
Sir Reginald Streetfield, your brother-in-law, had 
never heard about you, or your husband? In fact, 
he is even now utterly ignorant of your very ex- 
istence?" 

Then again did Josephine take up her narrative 
and tell Dr. Vernon all about her own romance 
with Monsieur Laudet, her marriage, her subse- 
quent disownment by her family, and of the oath 
of silence imposed upon Veronica by their father 
at the time of her marriage to Laudet, and reim- 
posed by him at the time of Veronica's marriage 
to Sir Reginald. 

To this remarkable story. Dr. Vernon listened 
with ever increasing interest, and he was over- 
joyed to think that now at last was given the solu- 
tion to this distressing mysery ; but for one or two 
matters still to be explained he would be in a posi- 
tion to clear up the whole mystery, and these two 
points were, first, the absolute assurance of Sir 
Reginald Streetfield in the correctness of his ident- 
ification of Veronica, as well as that of Major 
Brosby and Silas Thompson, for these last two, at 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 365 


first at any rate, were positive of their recognition 
of Veronica. The second was her emphatic denial 
of her ever having seen or met Sir Reginald. He 
was convinced that if he could just have these two 
enigmatical points explained, he would have the 
whole mystery solved, so he said to Josephine, re- 
calling Mr. Silas Thompson's theory as to Veronica 
having a double. 

“Are you and Veronica very much alike, Ma- 
dame Laudet?" 

“I have already said we were twin sisters. We 
could hardly be told apart. Open that drawer 
there, the upper one on the right. You will find 
in it a small black box; please hand it to me. I 
have a photograph of Veronica and myself just be- 
fore I married, and I will make a shrewd guess 
that you cannot tell who is who," replied Jose^ 
phine. 

Dr. Vernon, doing as he was told, handed Jose 
phine the box, and she, taking a key attached to 
a thin gold chain she wore around her neck, opened 
it, and taking from it a photograph, handed it to 
Dr. Vernon. 

When Dr. Vernon saw the photograph, he quite 
understood the certainty shown by Reginald in his 
recognition of Veronica. It was impossible to tell 
the difference — in the photograph, at any rate. 

That question settled, the doctor proceeded to 
the next one. This, however, was more difficult of 
solution. He said to her: “You say Madame, that 
you have never seen Sir Reginald, although you 
would be able to recognize him from his photo- 
graph." 

“No, Dr. Vernon, I have never seen him, but I 
would know him, I am sure," ingenuously answered 
Josephine. 


366 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


''Supposing you had seen him. Do you think you 
would have forgotten the incident ?’" 

“No, Dr. Vernon, I do not think I would have, 
replied Josephine in the same ingenuous manner. 

“Supposing, Madame Laudet, you did see Sir 
Reginald Streetfield, and further supposing that 
you had forgotten about it, could you in any way 
explain that?'' eagerly enquired Dr. Vernon. 

“I cannot answer tliat. Dr. Vernon. I only know 
that since I am better of my sickness, I have come 
to myself. I seem to be a different woman en- 
tirely. I feel as if some evil influence has left me. 
I used to be so often in a dreamy and a dazed con- 
dition of mind. I remember once particularly, I 
got lunch ready for my husband; there were four 
of his friends, and he with myself made six. I 
prepared the table for six, but did not get food 
prepared, or wine provided. My husband came in 
to lunch with hampers laden with food, and with 
several bottles of wine. I did not know that he 
was to bring food and wine in with him ; never- 
theless, I had the table tastefully decorated, and 
set for six, and had dressed myself in my most be- 
coming afternoon gown. I must have apparently 
known that I was to meet strangers. Matilda, my 
maid, you know her, asked me why I was getting 
the table prepared without preparing anything to 
eat or drink, and why was it that I was dressed 
as though to receive company. I could not an- 
swer her. Why I should have prepared the table 
for just six and why Monsieur should have brought 
just four friends in with him to lunch, and why he 
should have provided the food and drink, I could 
never well make out. Of course Monsieur Laudet 
bringing in the hampers of provisions may be ex- 
plained by the assumption that he wanted to spare 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 367 


me the trouble of getting lunch ready, but why 
should I so carefully dress for the occasion? I 
have never been able to satisfactorily explain all 
this, and I remember that after his friends had 
come and gone, I felt, oh, so tired and weary! Al- 
though I did not in any way exert myself, for 
everything in the way of food was brought in by 
my husband.” 

With this explanation Dr. Vernon had to rest 
content. He could only explain away the incidents 
connected with that lunch, and of Josephine seeing 
and talking to Sir Reginald and then not recalling 
ever having seen him, on the only tenable hy- 
pothesis, and that was hypnotism. This would 
explain the whole of the extraordinary occurrences. 
From his own professional knowledge along those 
lines he concluded that Josephine had been made a 
tool of by her unscrupulous husband. 

Having arrived at this conclusion. Dr. Vernon 
proceeded to give Josephine her husband's letter, 
containing the letter of credit for a hundred thous- 
and francs. Poor Josephine could not restrain her- 
self from bursting into a rain of tears. Dr. Ver- 
non patiently waited until she had quite recovered 
herself, and when she had, she said in a decided 
tone: 

‘‘Dr. Vernon, I want you to tell me whether or 
not I have ever seen Sir Reginald Streetfield. 
I want to know all the circumstances of the meet- 
ing, because I have felt at times that I have passed 
through scenes of which I can recall nothing. 
Please be candid.” 

Dr. Vernon recited to Madame Laudet all the 
incidents of that meeting as far as he could recall 
them, and showed her the letter she had written 
to Sir Reginald Streetfield in America, which he 


368 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


had taken the precaution to bring with him. Ma- 
dame Laudet admitted the authenticity of the 
letter, so far as the handwriting was concerned. 

‘That is certainly my writing, Dr. Vernon; but 
I cannot remember ever writing it, nor can I re- 
member seeing Sir Reginald Streetfield. Perhaps 
it will all come back to me later.” 

To Dr. Vernon it appeared to be more and more 
clearly a case of hypnotic suggestion for a nefari- 
ous purpose. 

Having nothing further to gain, he asked Jose- 
phine if she would like to see . Sir Reginald Street- 
field, who was in Paris as he had already informed 
her. This seemed to give Madame Laudet great 
satisfaction. 

“Oh, do bring him to see me, doctor,” she said, 
“please bring him. I have wanted oh, ever so 
long, to see and know the husband of my poor 
Veronica.” 

We will not try to analyze Madame LaudePs 
feelings very deeply. She was greatly shocked, in- 
deed, to hear of her husband's death, but she was 
also greatly humiliated to learn that he had made 
a tool of her in his efforts to blackmail Sir Reginald 
Streetfield. 

But his last letter to her, inclosing a letter of 
credit, for a hundred thousand francs, affected her 
keenly. 

She was strangely aware, however, she could 
not explain why, that a great load had been lifted 
from her mind and spirits. She felt as she used to 
in those days of old when Veronica and herself 
were inseparable. It was a case of mental reversion 
with her. She had reverted to her original and 
natural state of mind. 

It was several days before Josephine found her- 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 369 


self well enough after this to receive Sir Reginald 
Streetfield. Notwithstanding the prudence showed 
by Dr. Vernon, Josephine had been greatly affected 
by that interview. In spite of all his many vaga- 
ries, and his irregularities, she had known nothing, 
of course, of her husband's villainy. Josephine was 
deeply attached to Monsieur Laudet, and although 
the revelation of his utter moral obliquity had 
greatly shamed and shocked her, nevertheless, she 
was deeply attached to him, and she could not 
help but mourn for him as became a devoted and 
affectionate wife. 

Notwithstanding her distress over her husband's 
death, Josephine had to admit that in respect to 
her mind and in her inner consciousness that there 
had taken place a most remarkable change; and as 
the days wore on, she seemed to be able to recon- 
cile herself to the death of her husband, and she 
expressed her desire to Dr. Vernon, who visited 
her daily with her Parisian doctor, to see Sir Regi- 
nald Streetfield. 

She had now been out of bed for several days, 
and was able to perform little duties about the 
house; so when Sir Reginald called to see her, she 
was up and able to meet him downstairs in the 
drawing rom. 

The meeting between these two can only be de- 
scribed as dramatic. To Sir Reginald, it was al- 
most tragic. So great was Josephine's resemblance 
to his deceased wife. 

“Oh, good sir," Josephine said, vainly attempt- 
ing to suppress her tears. “Ah, how I have just 
longed and longed to see you, the husband of my 
poor Veronica!" 

Sir Reginald had, after hearing the recital of 
all the mysterious elements in these adventures of 


370 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


the past two weeks, resolved to meet his sister-in- 
law in a purely matter-of-fact way, so as not to 
cause her any added embarrassment. 

Now that Josephine had been left absolutely 
alone in the world, he had further resolved to look 
after her, and to offer her the shelter of his home. 
Sir Reginald, with his traditional grace and 
sense of delicacy, refrained from dwelling much 
upon Monsieur Laudet. The first meeting of Jose- 
phine and Sir Reginald was one of mutual esteem 
and warm sympathy. 

Josephine asked, in her own sweet way, after 
Mary, and his baby son and said how happy Ve- 
ronica would be in heaven to look down, and to see 
his cup of happiness running over; and how they 
often conversed together; and how Veronica 
seemed to possess a presentment of her impending 
death and had told Josephine that she had a 
strong premonition that when her husband went 
out to the war in India, that she would never see 
him again; and she further told Josephine that 
should she die before her Reggie’s return, to tell 
him from her that he was not to mourn for her all 
his life, but that he should marry again, and not 
spend his whole life in sorrow and regret. More- 
over, that when Veronica found that she was to be 
the mother of the heir to the Streetfield title and 
estates, for she felt she said, that her first born 
would be a son, she seemed to realize that she must 
put aside all apprehension for her Reggie’s sake; 
and how brave she was to be sure ; but that on the 
night of her accident, on board the steamer cross- 
ing the channel, although it appeared to be so 
slight an accident and did not alarm their mother 
Madame Dieulafoi in the least, that Veronica 
had called her, Josephine, to herself and whispered 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 37 


in her ear that she felt convinced that she was 
injured far more seriously than her mother sup- 
posed, and that the old feeling of not ever agaiiv 
seeing her Reginald had taken hold of her; and 
that she kissed Josephine, again and again, and 
said it was cruel that she would have to leave her 
Josephine also, so soon after she had found her 
again; and how poor Veronica's apprehensions, 
alas, came too true; and how she had said to Jose- 
phine, '‘Did I not tell you, my Josephine? I have 
been conscious of it all along. My' poor, poor, Regi- 
nald! Oh! If I could but once see him before 
I die.” 

These sad recitals on the part of Josephine, tore 
open the partially closed wound in Sir Reginald's 
heart and a strong feeling of sympathy sprung up 
between these two. 

When Sir Reginald had made several visits to 
her, he asked Josephine to accept the shelter of 
his home. She was greatly affected and genuinely 
grateful when she heard this generous and kindly 
offer, and she accordingly placed all her affairs in 
the hands of her brother-in-law. 

When she was strong enough and able to get 
about, Josephine had taken Sir Reginald to the 
grave of Veronica, and Monsieur and Madame 
Dieulafoi, although there was nothing whereby to 
identify any of the graves, but Josephine well 
knew them, as she had often gone with her mother 
while that good lady was alive, to place flowers 
upon the graves of her father and Veronica. Be- 
sides, there was a wonderful chestnut tree that 
spread its beautiful branches over their graves, 
and she therefore could never be mistaken in ident- 
ifying them. 

Sir Reginald had suitable monuments erected 


372 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 

over the graves of Veronica and Monsieur and 
Madame Dieulafoi, much to the gratification and 
peace of mind of Josephine, who had long urged 
Monsieur Laudet to do the same, but he had per- 
sistently put her off. Now, she said, one great 
wish of her life was fulfilled. 

As Josephine became stronger. Sir Reginald had 
introduced her to Major Brosby and Silas Thomp- 
son. To Silas Thompson, she instinctively took a 
great liking, and would persist in calling him Uncle 
Silas, like her brother-in-law. She invariably re- 
ferred to Sir Reginald, as my brother Reggie; and 
towards Major Brosby too, she evinced a most 
cordial feeling, and the good humor of the Major 
and his quaint witticisms were often the cause of 
much hilarity. 

We may well suppose that Sir Reginald did not 
lose any time in writing to Lady Streetfield at 
Great Hope, Tennessee; and while not giving her 
any of the facts of all those really amazing hap- 
penings since he left America, which, he said to 
himself he would acquaint her with when he got 
back; the joyous ebullitions only too apparent in 
his letters to Mary, led her to divine that all the 
diificulties he expected to encounter had been 
overcome. To Angus MacKenneth he had written 
more fully and comprehensively, telling him of all 
that had happened; but asked him not to acquaint 
Mary of the circumstances until he returned, as 
he wished to tell her all about them himself. He 
also told Mary that he would be home shortly with 
Major Brosby, and further, that he had discovered 
that Veronica had a sister living in Paris; and 
that she was all alone in the world, as her hus- 
band had died during their stay in Paris; and he 
said that he would, under the circumstances, like 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 373 


to ask her to share their home, if Mary felt so 
disposed; but in case she did not desire it, he 
would place Josephine in the home of his cousin. 
Lady Travelyan in London. 

We may venture a guess that Mary wanted Jo- 
sephine, and she had written Sir Reginald to say 
that she ardently desired Josephine to be with her, 
and that she would be sorry and greatly disappoint- 
ed if he did not bring her, but had left her in Lon- 
don with the Travelyans. There wo^ some other 
news of an extremely welcome and gratifying 
nature, although surpassingly strange; and that 
was that there had taken place in George Wilcox 
a most miraculous transformation in character 
and behavior. This was also related to them by An- 
gus MacKenneth and Lady Streetfield, and by Grace 
Vernon, George's sister, who had elected to stay 
at the Wilcox plantation during her husband's ab- 
sence in Paris. 

Grace's story was that on the morning following 
the night of Laudet's death — of which, of course, 
Grace knew nothing — George had awakened and had 
acted and talked so differently from what he had 
been doing lately, and had asked Grace where he 
had been all this long time ; and further stated that 
his mind appeared to be quite blank; and that he 
could not remember anything that had transpired 
since his first return to Great Hope, the occasion 
on which his father had gone over to Paris to 
bring him home. Nor could he remember the fact 
that Silas Thompson, Dr. Vernon, and Sir Regi- 
nald had gone to Paris, and so much startled were 
his parents and sister by the exhibition of this 
extraordinary mental aberration, that his father 
had summoned a New York alienist to see his son, 
and that the learned doctor could not find anything 


374 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


abnormal about George. He was given the whole 
history of George's strange behavior, and of his 
connection with Laudet, although he was not in. 
formed as to this last rascality of George, because, 
for the time being, that had been kept from Mr. 
and Mrs. Wilcox, although Grace was cognizant 
of it. The learned doctor had given it as his opin- 
ion that some strange influence, which apparently 
had held George enthralled, had suddenly broken 
and come to an end. “It may be," he said, “the 
death of a boon companion. Did they know of any 
thing happening to Monsieur Laudet?" He was 
told that they did not. 

But, be that as it may, George Wilcox was back 
to his own old self. He expressed himself as hav- 
ing been living in a peculiarly dreamy condition of 
mind, in which many of the events of the last year 
or so of his life appeared so unreal, as if he had 
awakened from a horrible dream, and it was only 
with difficulty he could recall any of them. Most 
of the deeds that had so distressed his family had 
passed from his mind as an evil dream. Anyhow, 
Mary and Angus MacKenneth had written to say 
that George was his old self again, and that he, 
on hearing that Sir Reginald was in Paris, as well 
as Silas Thompson, Major Brosby, and Dr. Vernon, 
had asked his father's permission to go over to 
Paris and join them, which permission his father 
had readily granted. 

So much like the old George was he, that his 
father had made over to him, much to his amaze- 
ment and gratification, the investments that he 
had made with the money George had sent home to 
his mother. Even of this George had not the slight- 
est recollection. These investments had proved to 
be so profitable that his father had been able to 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 375 


turn over to him two hundred thousand dollars. 

We can readily imagine that the good news 
struck the quartet in Paris with amazement. It 
was, however, a joyous amazement, and when they 
were told that George Wilcox had already sailed 
for Paris, they looked eagerly forward to welcom- 
ing him there. 

In regard to Josephine, after she had met Mr. 
Silas Thompson several times, one morning while 
they were all together, Josephine kept curiously 
eyeing Silas Thompson. So noticeable did this be- 
come that that gentleman was beginning to grow 
self-conscious and embarrassed. At last he spoke 
out in his usual direct manner. ‘‘Why do you look 
at me so curiously, Madame Laudet?” 

“Uncle Silas, you must call me Josephine in fu- 
ture. I have adopted you as my Uncle. I will an- 
swer your question in the good old Scottish manner, 
by asking you another. Did I ever say to you. 
Uncle Silas, at any time, and very rudely too, that 
I did not know you, not ever having lived in 
the ark? There! There! It all comes to me now! 
The whole scene! and Uncle Silas, it is you who 
have brought it back to me. I remember it all so 
queerly. I was supposed to be Veronica, and aban- 
doned in Paris by my husband Sir Reginald Street- 
field, and I was further supposed to be in dire 
need, and I insisted that as Sir Reginald had de- 
serted me, his wife, Veronica Dieulafoi, he was to 
pay me some fifty thousand pounds. 

“It all comes to me just like that lunch party I 
told you of. Dr. Vernon, when I dressed myself in 
my reception gown and prepared the table for six, 
and did not prepare anything for the meal, 
and that my husband came in with four of his 


I 


376 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


friends, and with a hamper of prepared provisions, 
and several bottles of wine. 

'‘Do you not remember me telling you about it. 
Dr. Vernon? Is it possible that Alphonso hypno- 
tized me, and would that not account for the feel- 
ing of freedom I now experience all day long and 
have experienced since his death? It must have 
been Alphonso, Dr. Vernon, that prompted me to 
write that letter while under his strange influence. 
Do I remember George Wilcox? Yes, I have a faint 
recollection of a young man that lived with Us a 
few weeks; and Alphonso said he had gone to 
America, for that was his home.” 

Dr. Vernon thought it wise not to encouuragc 
Madame Laudet to proceed with her recitals. It 
would be as well for her, he said, not to over- 
excite her mind, as that might possibly bring 
about a relapse of her serious mental condition. 
He enjoined Sir Reginald Streetfield, Silas Thomp- 
son, and Major Brosby as well to avoid broaching 
the subject again. 

They had all of them agreed that after George 
Wilcox's arrival, they would stay a week longer in 
Paris, and then go home via London, as Sir Regi- 
nald had some matters to attend to in England, 
and that they would take the opportunity of vis- 
iting Lady Travelyan there. 

George Wilcox arrived in due course, and glad 
they were to welcome him. He was the same good, 
kind George of Reginald's college days and they 
agreed among themselves that nothing should 
ever be said of those lamentable events that had 
passed with George like a dream in the night. 

Silas Thompson would rub his hands in glee and 
say, "Oh, how remarkable! How strange! Hod pro- 
digious! But I knew he would come back. He was 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 377 


a Wilcox and the Wilcoxes are one of the oldest 
families in Tennessee.” 

When George and Josephine met there appeared 
to be no embarrassment between them. Each of 
them declared that they had a faint recollection 
of having seen the other but it was very vague 
and indefinite. 

During their last week in Paris another surpris- 
ing event was to take place, which our readers 
can hardly conjecture. Sir Reginald Streetfield, 
who was in the habit of reading the London pa- 
pers, saw an advertisement in one of them, by an 
eminent firm of lawyers in London, asking for any 
information that might lead to the discovery of a 
certain William Burke, who had gone to Australia 
when a child of seven years old with his parents, 
and that while there his father had joined the 
mounted police, but had lost his life shortly after- 
wards in an encounter with a party of bushrang- 
ers; and that his mother had shortly afterwards 
died, leaving the boy in the care of a settler called 
Michael Finnerty, an Irishman who had a ranch a 
hundred miles west of Ballarat, and that the boy 
had remained with Michael Finnerty until he was 
fourteen years of age; and that Michael Finnerty 
had died, when the boy went to sea, and was last 
heard of in Paris, when he must have been at that 
time about twenty-five years of age, but since then 
all trace of him was lost. Also that this William 
Burke could be recognized by a long scar over his 
left shoulder, which resulted from his being thrown 
into a hedge while riding a pony, when a boy in 
Ireland, sometime before his parents went out to 
Australia. 

Sir Reginald immediately recognized his mili- 
tary attache. Sergeant William Burke, V. C. Sir 


378 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 

Reginald remembered that William Burke had re- 
counted to him, when on that long-drawn out 
mission into Tibet, his early life, the incidents of 
which surprisingly fitted in with what he had read 
in the advertisement with so much interest. Fur- 
ther than that. Sir Reginald clearly recalled the 
incident of their swimming in one of the mountain 
streams of . Tibet, and how he had questioned Will 
Burke about the scar on his left shoulder, and 
that Bill Burke had told him that his mother had 
often spoken of the time when he met with that 
fall off the pony in Ireland. 

Sir Reginald immediately communicated with 
the firm of lawyers in London and learned from 
them that this William Burke that they were in 
quest of was Lord Burke of Berkeley, Ireland; and 
he, being the only son of the fifth son of Lord 
Charles Burke, and that as all the other heirs to 
the title and estates of the Burkes of Berkerley 
had died this William Burke was the legitimate 
heir; and they further stated that they had been 
for some time striving but without success to 
trace the heir to the title and estates. 

Having received this information. Sir Reginald 
called Sergeant William Burke, V. C. into his 
room and said to him,'' Sergeant Burke, V. C., of 
Her Majesty's 110th foot regiment, I salute you 
Lord Burke of Berkerley, Ireland." You can well 
imagine that our Will Burke was utterly confound- 
ed with this news. 

‘'But Captain," he said, after he had recovered 
from the shock resulting from the magnitude of 
the news, ‘T want to stay in the army, sir, — Will 
this prevent me, sir?" 

“Being Lord Burke will not prevent you," said 
Sir Reginald. “You must get a commission, of 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 379 


course, but that can easily be brought about. You 
will have to brush up a bit, and pass an examina- 
tion, and then a commission will be given you. 
You do not have to leave the army; it will not be 
difficult for you to pass the examination. Ser- 
geant Burke. I ought perhaps to give you your 
title now. Sergeant Lord William Burke, V. C. 
You will not have much difficulty in passing your 
examination. I am fully aware that you have been 
faithfully applying yourself to books for the last 
few years, to my personal knowledge.'' 

Sir Reginald immediately wrote the London 
lawyers and one of their representatives was in 
Paris the next day, and found that the claim of 
Will Burke to the title was so clear that there was 
little to be done but to confirm him in it. 

We can well imagine the surprise of all our 
party at this extraordinary news, but Will Burke 
was the most modest of them all. He would not 
abandon or break up the company of the three 
Musketeers and elected to stay with Harry Brooks 
and Phil Knox until such time as these two Mus- 
keteers left for America. As for Phil Knox and 
Harry Brooks, their joy was unbounded and their 
amazement beyond measure. 

'T wonder what will happen to me next," said 
Phil Knox, sententiously one day. ‘T know I will 
be elected president of the United States. Failing 
that, it will be, at the very least, governor of 
Tennessee." 

Now that all these surprises were well over. Sir 
Reginald Streetfield, Mr. Silas Thompson, Major 
Brosby, Dr. Vernon, George Wilcox and Josephine, 
accompanied by her faithful maid Matilda, for she 
could not leave her behind, and the three Musket- 


380 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


eers, Sergeant Lord William Burke, V. C., Phil 
Knox and Harry Brooks left Paris for London. 

When Will Burke reached London, he received 
the confirmation of his title, but he insisted on re- 
maining one of the Musketeers and elected to stay 
with his companions until they sailed for America, 
after which time he purposed going to Ireland to 
claim his title and estates, and to take measures to 
prepare for the examination for his commission. 
All of which were duly arranged for him by 
Captain Sir Reginald Streetfield and Major Brosby. 

Lady Travelyan and Amelia were delighted be- 
yond measure to meet their old friends again, and 
more particularly were they pleased to welcome 
Josephine. They were greatly impressed, like all 
the rest of them had been in their turn, with her 
remarkable resemblance to Veronica, not only in 
looks, but in character, in disposition, and in de- 
portment. 

Dear Josephine. She was glad to be in London 
again, where she had spent so many happy days 
before those dreadful tragedies had overtaken her. 
She had now a new lease of life, and seemed to be 
just her old self again. 

Sir Reginald Streetfield took the opportunity, 
accompanied by Major Brosby, of paying a hasty 
visit to Streetfield Manor, looking over some busi- 
ness matters there, and visiting the Rev. Dr. 
Sharpe, and also many of his tenants, who were 
delighted to see him again, and to these he gave 
a promise that he would shortly be back among 
them. While there he received a deputation from 
the county conservative association and pledged them 
that he would stand for the constituency of Street- 
field in the conservative interest at the next par- 
liamentary election. 


PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM 381 


Having arranged all matters to the satisfaction 
of everybody in Streetfield, Sir Reginald and Ma- 
jor Brosby returned to London, where, greatly 
aided by the entreaties of Josephine, they pre- 
vailed upon Lady Travelyan and Amelia to accom- 
pany them to America on a visit to Tennessee. 

It can be truthfully said that Amelia was de- 
lighted beyond measure with these arrangements. 
It had been her great desire for a long time to 
visit the great Republic beyond the sea. 

All matters being duly arranged, the happy 
party left for America on one of the great vessels 
of the Cunard Line — Sir Reginald Streetfidd, Silas 
Thompson, Major Brosby, Dr. Vernon, George Wil- 
cox, Lady Travelyan and Miss Amelia Travelyan, 
Josephine and her maid, and Phil Knox and Harry 
Brooks. But the right honorable Sergeant Lord Wil- 
liam Burke, V. C., of Her Majesty's 110th foot regi- 
ment went back to Ireland, the land of his sires. 


r 


CHAPTER XV 
A GOLDEN SUNSET 

The crossing to America of Sir Reginald Street- 
field and his friends was in sharp contrast to their 
going, so far as their feelings and peace of mind 
were concerned. Since last leaving the shores of 
America, they had passed through many adven- 
tures and experiences. Some of these experiences 
appeared so incredible, indeed, to the members of 
the party that they could scarcely believe that 
they themselves had been the chief actors in that 
bewildering and preternatural drama; but all that 
being now behind them, they had tacitly agreed 
among themselves to banish from their minds as 
far as possible and practicable the whole episode, 
if only out of kindly consideration for the sensi- 
bilities of both Josephine and George Wilcox. 

This was Amelia’s and Josephine’s first experi- 
ence on the high seas, and they, after a short in- 
terval of disappearance usual with those who first 
cross the Atlantic, enjoyed every minute of the 
voyage over. They never seemed to tire of hear- 
' ing Silas Thompson and George Wilcox descant 
upon and extoll all the marvels of the New Land 
they were about to visit, and as their vessel en- 
tered the harbor of New York, they were more 
than ever absorbed in the many points of in- 
terest in the glorious panorama that spread out 
before them. 

The stay of the party in New York was of short 
duration, as Sir Reginald and Major Brosby, Dr. 
Vernon, and Silas Thompson were anxious to pro- 
ceed to their homes. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox thought- 
fully arranged that they should all go directly to 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


383 


the Wilcox plantation and remain there a few 
days before dispersing to their respective homes. 
Mary was there with her baby, and so were Emily 
and Grace; but we will not describe at length the 
happy and joyous re-union of all these good folk; 
the sunshine of mind, the generosity of spirit, 
and the animation displayed ; nor shall we say much 
about Lady Travelyan’s, Amelia’s and Josephine’s 
hearty and affectionate welcome by Mrs. Wilcox, 
Mary, Grace, and Emily ; nor how Mary had taken 
Josephine in her arms, and how Josephine’s heart 
went out to Mary, and to Emily, and to Grace, and 
to Mrs. Wilcox; and how she fondled and cuddled 
Mary’s baby; while standing by were Mr. Angus 
MacKenneth, Sir Reginald Streetfield, Mr. Silas 
Thompson, Mapor Brosby and Dr. Vernon, taking 
it all in, all of them, and looking so contented and 
happy. George Wilcox, too, was there, his old self 
all over again, teasing Grace and Emily as he used 
to in years gone by and so attentive, too, was he 
to Amelia, and kind and gentle to Josephine ; happy 
indeed were Lady Travelyan and Amelia, looking so 
sweet and inspiring; and what a wonderful host- 
ess Mrs. Wilcox made, rivalled only by the bub- 
bling and bustling hospitality of her husband; and 
all these good people made themselves so 
thoroughly at home that one would have imagined 
that they had lived on the Wilcox plantation all 
their lives. The happiest days must come to an 
end, and when the party broke up, they scattered 
in various directions, Doctor Vernon and Grace to 
Philadelphia, Sir Reginald and Lady Streetfield 
with their infant son, and Josephine with her 
maid Matilda, and Major Brosby and Emily to 
their respective Tennessean homes, Silas Thomp- 


384 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


son to his modest abode in the village of Great 
Hope, and Angus MacKenneth to his now lonely 
mountain home. 

Lady Travelyan and Amelia were to remain the 
guests of Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox for several days. 
The separation was not for long, however, for 
there were journeys to and fro, and re-unions here, 
there and everywhere. Nor were Lady Travelyan 
and Amelia at any time, or anywhere, entertained 
with more generous hospitality than they were by * 
the Wilcoxes, and by all the other people already 
mentioned. Of course Lady Travelyan and Amelia 
stayed a few days with Mary and Sir Reginald and 
Josephine, and then George Wilcox must needs 
come too to talk over some business with Sir 
Reginald, for he had undertaken the supervision 
of his investments and interests in America, and 
as for Mr. Silas Thompson, he was at the Street- 
fields almost every day, as of yore, much to the 
delight of Josephine, who had taken a genuine 
liking to the dear, kind gentleman, as she referred 
to him and indeed, often called him ; and did not all 
the ladies go over to Mr. Silas Thompson’s house, 
in Great Hope, one day for a noonday meal, Mrs. 
Wilcox, Mary, Emily, Lady Travelyan and Amelia; 
the only gentleman present being Silas Thompson; 
and Aunt Janet, did she not feel her dignity as 
she prepared a most wonderful meal for them, and 
were not all these handsome and high-toned ladies, 
as she called them, so gracious to her that she aft- 
erwards declared that it was the second happiest 
moment in her life, the first being, as she had 
stated before, the occasion of Sir Reginald’s en- 
gagement to Mary MacKenneth; and there stood 
Silas Thompson, gleefully rubbing his hands; and 
saying audibly to himself, “How remarkable! How 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


385 


strange! And how prodigious, to be sure!” But 
when called upon by Mary to explain himself, he 
had to confess the truth, and say that the remark- 
able, strange, and prodigious event was this self- 
same occasion, when he had under his roof such 
a group of beautiful women, and further than 
that, two of them were titled ladies; and should 
anybody have made the assertion to him even a 
year ago he added, that he, Silas Thompson of 
Great Hope, Tennessee, would be entertaining such 
a distinguished company of ladies, he would have 
certainly considered that person non compos mentis. 

And oh the meal that Aunt Janet prepared! 
The old office table was commandeered by her for 
the occasion, and right smart, as they say in Ten- 
nessee, did she decorate it. And when they sat 
down to dinner, Mr. Silas Thompson did the hon- 
ors at one end of the table, with Lady Travelyan, 
the guest-in-chief on his right, Josephine on his 
left, and Mary at the other end facing him; the 
table literally groaning with the best that could 
be had in Tennessee. 

Oh ! It was such a wonderful turkey which Aunt 
Janet herself had raised, for she volunteered that 
information, and it was done to a turn, and Mr. 
Silas Thompson seemed to take extraordinary de- 
light in carving it up, and urging upon his guests 
that this was quite an unconventional affair, and 
that they were, all of them, to do justice to Aunt 
Janet’s cooking, otherwise, that dear old lady 
would most assuredly die of a broken heart. Then 
Mary must needs tell Lady Travelyan and Amelia 
that this was the very room in which Reginald 
had asked her to marry him, and for that reason, 
and besides being the room in which she had spent 


386 TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


so many happy childhood hours, she cherished an 
affectionate remembrance of it. 

Never had there been such a dinner party at 
Silas Thompson’s and perhaps there never would 
be again. At length the time arrived for the 
guests to depart, and when they were all safely 
and comfortably tucked in in their buggies, and aft- 
er expressing themselves as having spent a very 
happy afternoon, they were driven away to their 
various destinations, and there stood their host 
under his beautiful poplar trees, gazing after them 
and rubbing his hand, as he said to himself, ''How 
remarkable! how strange! and how prodigious to 
be sure!” And the ladies waved their hands and 
handkerchiefs to him as a last farewell, as they 
disappeared from sight. 

Lady Travelyan and Amelia wanted to see some 
little, at least, of the great country that they had 
come over to visit, and Mr. George Wilcox volun- 
teered to accompany them. Josephine also was to 
be included in this party. 

Major Brosby and Sir Reginald Streetfield had 
now definitely concluded to return to England, 
more especially as Sir Reginald had accepted, at 
the urgent solicitation of the Streetfield Conserva- 
tive association, the honor of contesting that con- 
stituency at the approaching parlimentary elec- 
tion, and his constituents needed his presence at 
home. The visitors had now been in Tennessee 
for over two months, and a wonderfully full and 
happy time it had proved to be. Lady Travelyan, 
Amelia, and Josephine, returned from a swing 
around the circle, as George Wilcox put it, after 
seeing and visiting many cities of interest. Of 
course they had to go to Philadelphia, and spend 
a few days there with Grace. From there they 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


387 


visited Washington, the National Capital, Balti- 
more, New York, Buffalo, (taking in the Niagara 
Falls), Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, Louisville, 
and the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky as well, on the 
way to Memphis. They were highly edified with 
all they saw, and when they contemplated what a 
really small fraction of the country they had seen, 
they began to have a true conception and appre- 
ciation of the grandeur and the immensity of it. 

All things were duly arranged for the depart- 
ure to England of Sir Reginald and Lady Street- 
field with baiby William, who was indeed the verit- 
able commander-in-chief of the whole party, and 
Mr. Angus MacKenneth, who had elected to ac- 
company his daughter, as he purposed making his 
long contemplated trip to the Highlands of Scot- 
land, and incidentally to spend a few weeks in 
travel in the British Isles and in some of the 
countries of the Continent. Then there were 
the Travelyans, with Josephine and Matilda, 
and Major Brosby and Emily, and that all too soli- 
tary musketeer, Harry Brooks. All these returned 
safely to England, having thoroughly enjoyed their 
visit, and Amelia was supremely happy at having 
had one of the wishes of her life fulfilled. Major 
Brosby and Emily went on to London, to be the 
guests of Lady Travelyan, and to give Emily an 
opportunity of seeing for a second time that city. 
Sir Reginald and Lady Streetfield, with Josephine, 
proceeded directly to Streetfield Manor, and we 
will not say anything of the genuine and hearty 
reception tendered the returning Master and the 
new Mistress of Streetfield, nor of the pleasure of 
the Rev. Dr. Sharpe on seeing Sir Reginald again; 
and he, in spite of his advancing years, was still 
hearty and hale. 


388 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Sir Reginald was duly elected to parliament as 
the Conservative member for that constituency, 
and took his seat as such in the next meeting of 
that body. As the months rolled on, Lady Street- 
field settled down in her new sphere of life, and it 
would be only natural to suppose that her mind 
often reverted to the happy days of her childhood 
and young womanhood, spent amongst the simple 
folk and the mountains of Tennessee. After he 
had concluded his travels, Mr. Angus MacKenneth, 
her father, spent several weeks with Mary, before 
going back to his lonely mountain home. And he 
would miss his girl more than ever, he said. When 
she first married he had greatly missed her, but 
she was nearby then, and he often saw her, but 
now that she was to be separated from him by 
the ocean, and was to be so far away, it was going 
to be much harder for him to reconcile himself, he 
said to Mary, to the loss of his girl. 

Major Brosby and Emily, after concluding their 
visit with the Travelyans in London, made quite 
a lengthy stay at Streetfield Manor, prior to set- 
tling down at Bath. Little William grew apace, 
and was more wonderful than ever in his father’s 
eyes, and often as Sir Reginald gazed upon Mary 
and their growing child, his mind would revert to 
those early days of his own childhood, and to the 
thoughts of his sainted foster mother, Dora Bros- 
by, and his noble and generous father. 

Lord William Burke of Berkeley would also 
visit them, and he and Sir Reginald passed many 
an hour together living over again the wonderful 
and interesting experiences on that mission to 
Tibet, and the exciting incidents of the Afridis 
War. Lord Burke was no longer Sergeant Burke, 
but Lieutenant William Burke, V. C., having 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


389 


passed his examinations in a highly creditable 
manner. 

It was surprising how often George Wilcox sim- 
ply had to interview Sir Reginald personally on 
business matters relative to his property in Amer- 
ica, which did not appear to Sir Reginald, however, 
to warrant a trip across the Atlantic. But George 
would insist upon it, and it was still more strange 
that while he ostensibly came to see Sir Reginald 
on business, he spent most of his time in London 
in the company of Lady Travelyan and Amelia, 
excepting on the last occasion, when Lady Mary 
Streetfield had prevailed upon the Travelyans to 
spend some weeks at Streetfield Manor; and it was 
still further strange to Mary that on this partic- 
ular occasion that her cousin George elected to 
stay at the Manor also, although his business mat- 
ters had long since been discussed and disposed 
of; but truth will out at last, and George Wilcox 
confided to his cousin Mary, and to Sir Reginald, 
that he had long admired Amelia, and had made 
up his mind to ask her to marry him. Before do- 
ing so, he was going to ask Sir Reginald to do him 
important but a very delicate service, and that 
was to acquaint Lady Travelyan and Amelia with all 
the incidents connected with that period of his life 
which he always called his period of mental aber- 
ration. He did not purpose, he said, sailing 
under false colors. He wanted Amelia to know all 
about it. Sir Reginald Streetfield highly appre- 
ciated the lofty sense of honor and principle that 
prompted George to do this, and quite agreed with 
him that it was the only right and proper thing to 
do. Sir Reginald laid the whole story before Lady 
Travelyan and Amelia, and how highly indeed did 
they think of Mr. Wilcox’s conduct in being so in- 


390 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


genuous and candid with them. "‘As for Amelia/' 
Lady Travelyan said, ‘‘She has a liking for Mr. 
George Wilcox, and I am sure he has only to ask 
her, and I for one would not say nay, for I know 
him to be a thoroughly good, honorable, and up- 
right man. “And has he not," she asked, “demon- 
strated that by his openness and candor in insist- 
ing upon our knowing all the details of that un- 
fortunate period of his life?" 

The good news was carried back to George, and 
we may well imagine that he lost no time in 
bringing the matter to its only conclusion, and it 
was soon definitely announced that Miss Amelia 
Travelyan, daughter of the late Sir Henry Travel- 
yan, K. C. S. I. of the Indian Civil Service, and of 
Lady Travelyan of Grosvenor Square, London, was 
engaged to be married to George Wilcox, Esquire, 
of Great Hope Tennessee, U. S. A., but that the 
marriage was not to take place until the following 
year. Some months had now passed, and both 
Amelia and George were looking forward to the 
coming event. Josephine in the meantime was quite 
happy and contented in Streetfield Manor. The af- 
fectionate solicitude of Mary and Sir Reginald 
touched her keenly, and all the affection of her ardent 
nature went out to them. Mary would often say to 
Sir Reginald, “What should we ever have done 
without Josephine, Reggie?" 

“I am sure I do not know, Mary. She has be- 
come so much a part of our household that it is 
difficult to say how we could get along without 
her," replied Reginald to Mary's question. Ah, 
but you, Mary, and you. Sir Reginald, you will 
nevertheless have to get along without Josephine 
for you do not observe that his lordship Lieut. 
Lord William Burke, V. C., has been making fre- 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


391 


quent journeys to Streetfield Manor; and why did 
you not have the faintest trace of a suspicion of 
these two? Of course, you might excuse yourselves 
by saying that Josephine arid Lord William Burke 
conversed a great deal in French when by them- 
selves, and what they said was only known to 
themselves. Josephine and Lord Burke, who had 
rather a fine voice, would often sing French songs 
together, the words of which were not very intelli- 
gible to Mary, and less so to Sir Reginald, and 
they read French books together; and on one oc- 
casion Lord Burke remarked to Sir Reginald, ‘Ts 
it not extraordinary, Streetfield, how I am brush- 
ing up my French?” 

Of course Lord Burke was brushing up his 
French, and he brushed it up to such a degree 
that it shone like a mirror, in which he saw re- 
flected the mighty love of a chaste and great- 
souled woman. One day he broke the news to Sir 
Reginald and said to him, have come to you. 
Sir Reginald Streetfield, as I consider you ‘in loc^ 
parentis,’ de facto, if not de jure, of Josephine, 
and I am going, with your permission, to bring 
these French lessons of mine to a dramatic close, 
by asking my charming French instructor to become 
Lady Burke.” 

All this was in a way surprising to Sir Reginald, 
who greatly admired Josephine, and as the twin 
sister of his dear Veronica he was sincerely at- 
tached to her. To him she had become indeed a 
sister, and to Mary as well. 

“Well, Lord Burke,” said Sir Reginald. “It will 
be hard for Mary and me to lose Josephine, but 
we know that you will take as great care of her 
as we have. You have my best wishes — ^you have 
proved yourself to be one of nature’s noblemen. 


392 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


apart from any title you may now possess. Gk) 
in, Burke, and good luck to you.” 

As all Lord Burke's courtship was mostly car- 
ried on in French, we do not purpose translating 
what was said, whether by Josephine or Lord 
Burke. Sufficient to say, whether in French or in 
English, the result would have been exactly the 
same. Josephine consented to become Lady Burke 
of Berkerley. 

When Emily Brosby heard the news, nothing 
would satisfy her but a double event. The first and 
only one that she was present at, she declared, was 
that of Dr. Vernon and Grace Wilcox and of Major 
Brosby and herself, then she was one of the prin- 
cipals. She had ever since been desirous of wit- 
nessing a double wedding, in which she would be 
but a humble spectator, and here was an excellent 
opportunity. She approached Lord Burke and Jo- 
sephine and Mary on the subject, and Mary, fall- 
ing in with the idea, broached it to Sir Reginald 
and he in his turn induced Lady Travelyan to 
consent. 

‘'We shall have it at Streetfield Manor,” said 
Mary, and Mary's every wish was a command. 
“Lady Travelyan,” she added, “will be glad to have 
it there too.” 

It was just three months to the day set for 
Amelia's and George's wedding, and Lord Burke 
and Josephine agreed to wait until then. Besides, 
Lord Burke said, the additional time would give 
him an opportunity to become more proficient in 
French. Ample time was thus provided to have 
George's parents come over, also Dr. Vernon and 
Grace, and Mr. Angus MacKenneth, and last but 
not least, Mr. Silas Thompson. 

Sir Reginald and George Wilcox and Mary said 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


393 


it was unthinkable not to have Silas Thompson 
present, and then Josephine, did she not ask in 
her inexpressibly sweet, innocent way, ‘‘Are you 
not going to have the good, kind man come to my 
wedding?'’ 

So it was settled that Uncle Silas was to 
come. Lady Travelyan was to undertake the su- 
pervision of the wedding breakfast. The folk from 
Tennessee were to be present. The Rev. Dr. 
Sharpe was to officiate. Nor must we fail to men- 
tion Edward Oglesby and his gracious wife. 
The wedding was indeed a pretty event. There 
were present all the officers of Lord Burke's reg- 
iment, (for the noth had returned to England) 
in their brilliant arid resplendent uniforms, not ex- 
cepting Colonel Tom Tom, and glad was he to be 
there. His family, he said, were now marrying off 
all too quickly. There was Brosby, he instanced, 
who had to go to America to find a charming wife. 
It took a sharp-witted American girl, he said to 
Emily, to marry Brosby. Her English cousins 
were altogether too slow, otherwise Major Brosby, 
he was convinced, would have been married years 
ago. 

The party from Tennessee arrived in good time, 
not forgetting Phil Knox, who wanted again to 
meet his former companions. So once more did 
the three musketeers meet under perhaps strange- 
ly altered circumstances, but they were still the 
three musketeers to one another, in the same old 
spirit, if not exactly in the same old way. We will 
not describe the happy gathering. Radiant indeed 
were Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox and Grace, Emily and 
Mary, as were in fact all the near and dear 
friends of George Wilcox on this happy and auspi- 
cious occasion. 


394 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Lady Travelyan maintained her high reputation 
as an entertainer in undiminished glory. And as 
for Silas Thompson, he was living, he said to 
Grace, in Wonderland, and, “Grace, he added, “1 
am going to say something to you, but you must 
not contradict me nor question the truth of my 
statement, as you must well remember you once 
did, on the occasion of your nineteenth birthday. 
On this occasion, I am not to doubted when I say 
to you, Grace Vernon, how strange all this is, how 
remarkable, and how prodigious!'' 

Strange, remarkable and prodigious as this 
event may possibly have been, it went the way of 
all events, it arrived, and tarried a while, and 
went rejoicing on its way, to become in time but a 
pleasant memory. 

Amelia, after her honeymoon, went to Tennessee 
with her husband. Lady Travelyan stayed a few 
months at the Streetfields to become accustomed 
to her loneliness, as the poor woman said, and to 
reconcile herself to the absence of her daughter. 
Lady and Lord Burke spent their honeymoon in 
Southern France before going back to settle down for 
a while at any rate (until Lord Burke's leave of ab- 
sence expired), at Berkerley, Donegal, Ireland. 

There was one other matter that happened to 
Josephine while she was away on her honeymoon. 
It was no less than that Harry Brooks must needs 
fall in love with her faithful maid Matilda Brous- 
sard, and before Josephine's return, Harry Brooks 
had stolen her away for life. Major Brosby and 
Lord Burke, to show what good losers they really 
were, Brosby in losing his old and faithful mili- 
tary attache, and Lord Burke in the loss of an 
old and trusted maid of his wife Josephine, put 
their heads together and decided to buy out the 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


396 


^^Shaddock Arms,” a highly respected hostelry in 
Streetfield, and they presented it as a wedding 
gift to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Brooks, and there they 
were established. Here Harry Brooks was wont 
to descant upon his many strange adventures in 
the East and West, and he came to be regarded by 
his customers as one of the greatest travelers that 
England had ever produced, some even going so 
far as to say that Harry Brooks, the proprietor of 
the Shaddock Arms, was actually in receipt of a 
pension from the government for his valuable ge- 
ographical discoveries. Major Brosby, when in 
the vicinity, seldom missed spending a night at 
the Shaddock Arms; and when he did nobody was 
privileged to wait upon the Major but the proprie- 
etor; and at these times he was the precise, re- 
spectful orderly over again, and everything that 
was done for the Major, had to be carried out with 
true military precision. Lord Burke and Josephine 
would always spend a day at the Shaddock Arms 
when they visited Streetfield, to the great delight 
of Matilda. Josephine and Matilda would go over 
all their remarkable experiences, while Lord Burke 
and Harry Brooks were never tired of recounting 
the events of those days which Lord Burke said 
were some of the happiest in his life. And they 
would live over again those four wonderful days 
spent up in the mountains of Tennessee with those 
big-hearted friends of Phil Knox, people who. Lord 
Burke said, never ceased, scattering drops of kind- 
ness, These were happy days for the two musket- 
eers and they never failed to lift one to the 
health of that missing musketeer in far away 
Tennessee, Phil Knox. 

Here we shall leave these faithful souls, Harry 
Brooks and Matilda his wife, leave them to their 


396 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


contented and carefree life, and to enjoy the re- 
ward they most faithfully earned. 

As the years passed, the Streetfields, the Bros- 
bys, the Burkes, the Vernons and the Wilcoxes, 
increased and multiplied; and on one occasion the 
children of these five families and their parents 
had gathered at Streetfield Manor, and Ck)lonel 
Brosby (for he was the Colonel of the 110th now), 
apparently never seemed to tire of placing the chil- 
dren in line striving to instill into them some of the 
elements of military drill. 

‘The future soldiers of Her Majesty's 110th foot 
regiment,” he would say to them, although a good 
proportion of them were girls. When these little 
girls would remonstrate at their being made sol- 
diers, because they were girls, they said, and could 
never be soldiers. Colonel Brosby would invariably 
reply, “That is true. You are girls, but you will 
marry soldiers when you grow up to be young la- 
dies, so attention, girls ! Right turn. Quick 
march.” 

Sir Reginald Streetfield, having resigned his 
commission in the army on his election to par- 
liament, still remained an officer in Her Majesty's 
military service, for he had joined the Territorial 
Forces, and had been lately promoted to the rank 
of Colonel, and he would, when his interest re- 
quired it, take a short trip over to the United 
States. On these occasions, he invariably would 
be accompanied by Mary, and they would never 
miss going to Tennessee, much to the delight of 
Ajigus MacKenneth, of the Wilcoxes, senior and 
junior, and of Silas Thompson, nor did they ever 
fail to visit Dr. Vernon and Grace at Philadelphia. 
Sir Reginald lived up to his first reputation with 
the inhabitants of Great Hope, and they were al- 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


397 


ways glad to greet the English aristocrat, as they 
never ceased to call him. 

Aunt Janet still kept vigilant watch over Mr. 
Silas Thompson and still guarded him against be- 
ing paid too often in kind, as stated in one of our 
opening chapters, and as for Silas Thompson, he 
did not appear to be a day older than when we 
first became acquainted with him. In this respect 
he resembled Aunt Janet. Neither of them seemed 
to grow any older. 

Phil Knox and his wife still gave faithful serv- 
ice to Dr. and Mrs. Vernon, except on those rare 
occasions when Phil Knox paid a visit to his 
friends the mountaineers around Great Hope, at 
which times he would consume large potations of 
moonshine whiskey. ‘T have to make up for my 
long spells of abstinence,” he would say to the 
mountaineers, as an excuse, perhaps, for the large 
amount he consumed. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, senior, were the same, 
hearty and hospitable couple that they always 
were; George and Amelia filled the old plantation 
home with romping children whose cheery voices 
could be heard as they played and romped on the 
long verandas that surrounded on three sides the 
commodious mansion. 

Dr. Vernon and Grace were supremely happy 
together, and into their household had come a 
younger J. Douglas, and a younger Grace, and 
there was a Mary Vernon and a Keginald Ver- 
non, too, for that matter. 

As for Angus MacKenneth, he spent as much of 
his time in England as he did in his own mountain 
home, and he never seemed to tire of studying the 
history of the Clan Macdonald, and the Clan Mac- 
Kenneth, and the other Highland Clans. Former 


398 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


Lieutenant Lord William Burke, V. C., was now 
Major William Burke of Her Majesty’s 110th, and 
he, with Lady Burke, were acknowledged to be the 
most beloved couple in that section of Ireland. 

Another matter of interest which may tend to 
brighten the sunset of this story, was to be found 
in the sequence of events that followed the acci- 
dental meeting of Lord William Burke, in London 
one day, with the valiant Colonel Vemaid, of the 
African Chasseurs, he of the Chateau d’Eaulant 
episode. Colonel Vernaid had known all about the 
fortunate and surprising change in the affairs of 
the quondam Sergeant William Burke, V. C., but 
now Lord William Burke of Berkeley, Donegal, 
Ireland. He was prevailed upon by Lord Burke to 
spend a few weeks with him at his ancestral home. 
It so happened that Lady Travelyan was visiting 
Josephine at that time. The gallant Colonel, who 
had ever been pachydermatous to the shafts of 
Cupid, did, however, at this time fall a victim to 
the personal charms of the sweet and amiable 
Lady Travelyan. Great and sudden was the fall 
of this adamantine hero, and he, with true Gallic 
impetuosity, pressed his suit in so ardent a man- 
ner as to alarm that gentle lady. 

Now Colonel Vernaid, as stated in an earlier 
chapter, spoke excellent English, being English on 
his mother’s side. Thus he found little difficulty 
in expressing his sentiments to Lady Travelyan, 
which he did in a truly gallant fashion, as becom- 
ing a soldier and a Colonel of the African Chas- 
seurs. But it has to be confessed that he did not 
persuade that fascinating widow to consent to the 
changing of her name from Travelyan to Vernaaid. 

“But I do not intend marrying again,” she said 
to him one day when he was more persistent than 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


399 


usual. ‘T never did intend marrying after the 
death of my husband, Sir Henry Travelyan; and 
now that Amelia has married, I cannot con- 
template doing so for one moment. It is altogether 
too absurd to even think of such an event, so 
please ask me no more. Colonel Vernald!” 

With this he had to remain content for the 
time being, but the doughty Colonel was as in- 
domitable in love as he was in war, and although 
his chivalry would not permit him to say anything 
further at that time, he resolved nevertheless, to 
renew his suit on some future occasion. 

Lady Travelyan, feeling that perhaps it would 
be better for her to keep away from the in- 
fatuated Colonel, left the Burkes to pay a prom- 
ised visit, as she said, to the Streetfields. 

When she arrived at Streetfield Manor, she 
found that Sir Reginald had there as his guest, 
Colonel Tom Tom. Now Colonel Tom Tom, as we 
already know, had never failed on sundry and all 
occasions to pride himself on his prowess in resist- 
ing the wiles and the charms of the ladies, as 
he expressed it. But on his being thrown so much 
into the company of the charming Lady Travelyan, 
he too must needs fall desperately in love with 
her, and he lost no time in making his sentiments 
known to her. Now, Lady Travelyan did not es- 
cape the Scylla of Colonel Vernaid simply to 
founder on the Charybdis of Colonel Tompkins. 
Colonel Tom Tom was not nearly so ardent and 
persistent a lover as the gallant French Colonel, 
and she was well able to keep him at bay. The 
gallant commander of Her Majesty's 110th foot 
regiment, when Lady Travelyan point-blank re- 
fused his proffered heart and hand, was greatly 
distressed and downhearted. '"The only time in 


400 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


my life/' he said to Sir Reginald afterwards, 
have been hard hit, and then to be refused." And 
he too secretly harbored the determination to re- 
new the attack on some future and perhaps more 
propitious occasion. 

‘"A British soldier never gives in," he said to 
himself, ‘‘either in Love or in War." 

In the meanwhile. Colonel Vernaid, having con- 
cluded his visit to Lord Burke, fell in with his 
Lordship’s proposal to proceed with him to Bath, 
where the 110th regiment was stationed, and to 
take in Streetfield Manor en route. Thus it came 
about that the two Colonels were at the same 
time at Streetfield Manor, and both were ardently 
in love with the same woman, who herself hap- 
pened to be under the same roof as themselves. 
Colonel Tom Tom and Colonel Vernaid soon be- 
came inseparable companions, and took great de- 
light in recounting to each other their various and 
exciting adventures, and so confiding indeed did 
they become, that Colonel Tom Tom could not re- 
frain from telling his friend, Colonel Vernaid, the 
secret of his great admiration and love for the 
charming widow. We can well imagine Colonel 
Vemaid’s consternation when he heard that his 
friend, Colonel Tom Tom, was actually in love with 
the same lady as himself, and he, on his part, 
could not, he said, be any the less confiding in his 
friend than his friend had been in him, so he 
blurted out to Colonel Tom Tom that he himself 
was desperately in love with Lady Travelyan and 
that he had proposed to her and had met with a 
decisive defeat. “And what luck did you meet 
with, my good friend?" asked Colonel Vernaid, 
greatly agitated. 

“A decisive defeat like yourself. Colonel Ver- 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


401 


naid, although I attacked with my whole force, 
horse, foot, and artillery,'' replied Colonel Tom 
Tom sadly. 

‘'Oh well! Then let us shake hands, and capitu- 
late, my dear friend, and concede the fact that 
matrimony is not for you or me. If the lady will 
not take either of us, you may depend upon it. 
Colonel, she will not take anybody. We may flat- 
ter ourselves to that extent, at any rate. We must 
take it philosophically, mon bon ami, and although 
we have both been very thoroughly beaten, we 
must remember that we are soldiers. It will be of 
little use for either of us to return to the attack. 
It will only be distressing to the dear gentle lady. 
Let us agree to that. We will console ourselves by 
meeting often in the future. You must come with 
me to Tangiers, and be the guest of our regiment. 
What say you to that. Colonel Tompkins?" 

“There is my hand upon it. Colonel Vernaid. I 
agree. I will accompany you when you go back. 
Let us go in and have a drink to cement the bar- 
gain, and suppose we both go together and tell 
Lady Travelyan of the bargain, and relieve her 
evident distress. I can see that she is unhappy." 

So the gallant soldiers pledged each other, and 
drank to their mutual happiness, and then again 
to the happiness of Lady Travelyan, and to Sir 
Reginald and Lady Streetfield, and to Lord and 
Lady Burke and to numerous others besides, until 
the Waters of Lethe had banished from their 
minds all remembrance of their disappointment; 
and then they went, arm in arm, into the library. 
Shortly afterwards Colonel Tom Tom, who had a 
powerful voice, could be heard lustily singing “The 
Soldiers of the Queen," and when he concluded he 
was immediately followed by Colonel Vernaid sing- 


402 


TRUE GOLD OF TENNESSEE 


ing in a stentorian voice, '‘The Marseillaise,” un- 
til they finally sought the kindly aid of two great 
arm chairs, where they were soon oblivious, for 
an hour or two at any rate, to all the cares and 
sorrows of this world. 

In the meantime. Lady Travelyan, as we may 
well imagine, was in a disturbed and distressed 
state of mind. The sudden acquisition of two such 
gallant suitors appalled her, and she had resolved 
to fiee to her own home in Grosvenor Square, Lon- 
don, where she felt she would be safe, for the time 
being, from her ardent suitors. She soon observed, 
however, that the gallant soldiers had completely 
altered their bearing toward herself. They had, 
both of them, ceased surreptitiously to observe her 
with such languishing glances, and such expres- 
sions of despair. It was not very long before they, 
together, approached her; and Colonel Tom Tom, 
being the spokesman, stated to Lady Travelyan 
their resolve, and begged her never to feel any ap- 
prehension of having to go through any such ex- 
perience again, at least, not from them. This 
greatly relieved her mind, which again remained 
at rest; but she, gentle soul as she was, could not 
help feeling sorry for the two really gallant and 
chivalrous gentlemen. But she had long resolved, 
as she had told them, to remain unwedded. This 
ended the only one romance in the lives of both 
Colonel Vernaid and Colonel Tom Tom, and they 
remained, like her, unmated until they died. 

Lady Travelyan would often visit Amelia in Ten- 
nessee, and Josephine in Ireland, and Emily at 
Bath, and what with Tennessee, Streetfield Manor, 
Ireland, and Bath, she kept herself busy, as she 
flitted from one to another, as the spirit moved 
her, the same kind hearted lady she always was. 


A GOLDEN SUNSET 


403 


Sir Reginald's time was fully occupied with his 
military duties, his tenants and his estates. 

As for Mary, she had enthroned herself in the 
hearts of the people of Streetfield, and was im- 
mensely popular with the gentry of the county, by 
whom she was greatly sought. At Streetfield 
Manor she reigned a queen, as indeed she was, in 
her own demesnes, and often did Sir Reginald and 
herself talk of those other days and of those other 
people across the sea, and nothing would do but 
that Sir Reginald Streetfield had to mention them 
by name. 

‘'Yours will be the first to be placed on the list, 
Mary, among those I am about to name — Mary 
MacKenneth, the Pride of Tennessee, and her 
father, Mr. Angus MacKenneth; then I must name 
your old playmate and foster sister, Emily Brosby; 
then Mr. Silas Thompson, not omitting Aunt Janet. 
Then come Mr. Albert and Mrs. Wilcox and George 
Wilcox, and Dr. and Mrs. Vernon, not forgetting 
Mr. and Mrs. Phil Knox. Then there is good old 
Mat Stephens, who had so kindly undertaken to 
drive me around so much, and all the other good folk 
of Great Hope, Tennessee. What shall we call them, 
Mary?" 

“How can I say, Reggie? Surely it is not for 
me to say! You have included me, dear, in the 
naming of them." 

“I have it, Mary. I have it. It is the very best 
that can be said of them. I will call them ‘TRUE 
GOLD OF TENNESSEE.' ." 


END 




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